US Senator Bernie Sanders has said he will push for a moratorium on the construction of new data centres used to power artificial intelligence, arguing that technological development is outpacing democratic accountability.
The Vermont independent said the rapid build-out of AI infrastructure represents an “unregulated sprint” that risks concentrating power and wealth in the hands of a small elite.
Sanders argued that a temporary halt would give lawmakers and the public time to debate how AI should be governed and who ultimately benefits from its deployment.
He said the goal of a pause would be to ensure that technological progress works for society as a whole rather than disproportionately rewarding the richest individuals.
In comments shared on social media platform X, Sanders acknowledged that AI and robotics are transformative technologies that could reshape the US economy and labour market.
However, he warned that the direction of this transformation is currently being shaped by billionaires with limited public scrutiny or accountability.