Sanders warns Congress unprepared for AI, urges pause on data center growth
Feb 22nd 2026
At Stanford after meetings with tech leaders, Senator Bernie Sanders said the US is not ready for the scale and speed of AI change and called for a moratorium on new AI data centers while policymakers catch up; Congressman Ro Khanna agreed on risks but favors regulated growth and efficiency measures.
- Sanders said Congress and the public are unprepared for a rapid AI revolution and called for a moratorium on new AI data centers to buy time for policy action.
- Khanna agreed AI poses major risks but opposed a moratorium and proposed a Singapore-style approach that emphasizes renewable energy and water efficiency for data center growth.
- Both lawmakers said they met with senior leaders at prominent tech companies during Sanders's California visit but did not name the executives.
- Sanders cited industry statements and projections that AI and robotics could eliminate tens of millions of jobs in the coming decade and warned of broader social and emotional impacts.
- Sanders helped launch a campaign for a ballot initiative that would impose a one-time 5% tax on residents worth more than $1 billion.
- A 2025 Pew survey found 64% of Americans expect AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years and only 17% said AI will have a positive impact on the United States over that period.