AOC Calls On Politicians To Not Take 'AI Money': 'Will End Up Being Toxic Anyway'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on politicians to not take "AI money," claiming industry leaders are "buying up influence ahead of the midterms."

In a social media publication, the lawmaker said industry leaders are "buying up influence ahead of the midterms, and Dems who take AI $ will lose authority and trust as the public bears the cost."

"Their money will end up being toxic anyway. People are catching on," she concluded.

The lawmaker has also introduced this week a bill seeking to pause the building of data centers in the U.S. until there are AI safeguards in place.

Concretely, it requires "strong national safeguards" to be in place before new AI data centers can be built in the country. It would only be lifted after the passing of federal legislation outlining protections for worders and consumers. The law would also need to prevent the harm of the environment and defend civil rights.

Axios noted in a report that, should that bill be passed, projects to build data centers could be on hold for years, considering that Congress is far from any legislation regarding AI.

"AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity," Senator Bernie Sanders, who introduced the bill along with AOC, said in a statement to The Guardian.

"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," he added.

The initiative has been criticized by at least two fellow Democratic lawmakers. One of them was Mark Warner, who called the initiative "idiocy."

"A data center moratorium simply means China is going to move quicker," he added. "The idea that we're going to stuff this back into the bottle, this genie, that's a ridiculous premise."

On Wednesday, Sen. John Fetterman, made a similar statement. "The emerging chassis of AI must be built by America. We can put appropriate guardrails in place without handing the win on AI to China. A moratorium is China First," he said in a social media publication.