Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said on Wednesday at Axios' AI+DC Summit that placing a moratorium on the construction of AI data centers would be "idiocy," adding that it would grant China an edge in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.
Why it matters: Warner's comments come the same day that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) unveiled legislation to pause all new data center construction nationwide until AI safeguards are in place.
- "That would be idiocy," Warner said when asked about the idea of a moratorium to ease the transition to AI.
- "A data center moratorium simply means China is going to move quicker," he added.
Driving the news: Sanders and AOC are staking out one of the most aggressive AI policy positions yet this Congress, colliding with the industry's rapid expansion.
- Their bill would impose a national moratorium on new AI data center construction until "strong national safeguards" are in place, per a press release.
- "The idea that we're going to stuff this back into the bottle, this genie, that's a ridiculous premise," Warner said.
