Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) today announced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act, legislation they argue would enact a pause to the development of AI to ensure the safety of humanity.

The legislation aims to slow down the development of AI to give democracy a chance to catch up. The AI Data Center Moratorium Act of 2026 would do that by instituting an immediate federal moratorium on AI data centers until strong national safeguards are in place to ensure that:

• AI is safe and effective — preventing executives in the AI industry from releasing harmful products into the world that threaten the health and well-being of working families, our privacy and civil rights and the future of humanity.
• The economic gains of AI and robotics will benefit workers, not just the wealthy owners of Big Tech.
• AI does not increase electricity or utility prices, harm communities or destroy the environment.

Additionally, the goal is to stop a global race to see which country is the first to eliminate hundreds of millions of jobs, or the first to build an AI that destroys the planet. It accomplishes this by banning U.S. exports of AI computing infrastructure to countries that do not have safeguards in place to guarantee AI is safe and effective, workers are protected and AI does not harm the environment.

In support, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) argues, “We have seen ICE partner with AI companies to surveil Americans, social media users employ AI bots to create sexually explicit deepfakes of women and children, and data center construction inflates electric bills in communities across the country. And all of this harm has occurred because of the absence of federal legislation to regulate AI. Congress has a moral obligation to stand with the American people and stop the expansion of these data centers until we have a framework to adequately address the existential harm AI poses to our society. We must choose humanity over profit.”

And Sen. Sanders (D-VT) argues, “AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity. The scale, scope and speed of that change is unprecedented. Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts. Bottom line: We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity. We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue. The time for action is now. We need a federal moratorium on AI data centers.”

Opponents argue that a blanket pause on new data center construction would undermine U.S. economic competitiveness and technological leadership at a critical moment. Data centers are foundational infrastructure for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and national security applications; halting their expansion would likely push investment, innovation, and jobs overseas to countries with fewer restrictions, particularly as global competition in AI intensifies. Moreover, a moratorium treats all projects the same, regardless of whether they are designed with energy efficiency, renewable power integration, or advanced water-saving technologies, thereby discouraging responsible innovation rather than promoting it. Critics argue that targeted, market-based policies—such as requiring data centers to internalize energy costs or incentivizing cleaner power—would address legitimate concerns about grid strain and environmental impact without imposing a blunt restriction that could slow economic growth, weaken supply chains, and cede strategic advantage to geopolitical rivals.

Do you think Congress should pass S.4214, the AI Data Center Moratorium Act?