I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Senator Bernie Sanders called for a moratorium on AI data centers, warning that the industry threatens jobs, privacy, democracy, and the environment while raising electricity costs. This follows growing public opposition, with 71% of Americans against local data center construction due to resource consumption concerns. Meanwhile, tech giants like Microsoft and Nvidia continue expanding infrastructure, citing efficiency improvements and economic benefits despite scrutiny from investors and politicians.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized major technology companies over the potential impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, privacy, electricity costs and the environment, while calling for a moratorium on AI data centers.
Sanders Targets AI Billionaires
On Wednesday, Sanders criticized the AI industry in a post on X, arguing that Americans have legitimate reasons to distrust powerful technology companies.
"There’s a reason why Americans don’t trust Big Tech Oligarchs," he wrote.
The senator warned that AI billionaires are "threatening to obliterate their jobs, eviscerate their privacy, undermine democracy, raise their electricity bills & destroy the environment."
Sanders then called for a major pause in the industry’s physical expansion, writing: "We need a moratorium on AI data centers."
There’s a reason why Americans don’t trust Big Tech Oligarchs.
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 19, 2026
These AI billionaires are threatening to obliterate their jobs, eviscerate their privacy, undermine democracy, raise their electricity bills & destroy the environment.
We need a moratorium on AI data centers.
Read Also: Data Center Leases Top $850 Billion as Meta, Microsoft, Oracle Lead Record AI Infrastructure Spending
AI Data Centers Face Growing Scrutiny
Earlier, Investor Kevin O’Leary said AI data center developers needed to earn community trust through transparency about water use, emissions, power consumption, jobs and economic benefits.
He urged developers to provide their own energy to avoid shifting costs to local ratepayers.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk backed Nvidia Corp’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) claim that data centers accounted for only about 0.2% of daily U.S. water usage.
Nvidia said newer liquid-cooling technologies could reduce water consumption, potentially bringing cooling-related use close to zero in favorable climates.
Microsoft Corp’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella announced that the company’s Fairwater data center in Wisconsin had gone live ahead of schedule.
He called it "the world’s most powerful AI datacenter," as Microsoft continued expanding its global AI infrastructure.
Americans Opposed AI Data Centers
In May, a Gallup survey found that 71% of Americans opposed AI data centers being built in their local areas, with 48% strongly opposed.
Concerns included electricity and water consumption, pollution, noise and higher utility bills. Opposition was particularly strong among environmentally concerned Americans, Democrats and women.
The findings came as AI infrastructure spending accelerated. U.S. data center construction reached a record $45.1 billion, while construction activity had surged 228% since ChatGPT launched in 2022.
Meanwhile, the global data center CPU market was projected to reach about $80 billion by 2028, intensifying competition among Intel, AMD and Arm Holdings.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Read Also: Ro Khanna Slams AI Data Center Boom as ‘Damaging,’ Says Backup Generators Are Becoming ‘De Facto Private Power Plants’
Photo courtesy: ana Shea / Shutterstock.com