Bernie Sanders Calls AI the Most Consequential Technology Ever, Urges Data Center Slowdown

Sen. Bernie Sanders said artificial intelligence represents the “most consequential technology in the history of humanity,” warning that its rapid development is outpacing public debate and democratic oversight.

Speaking Sunday on State of the Union, Sanders argued that Congress, the media, and the public have not sufficiently grappled with how AI will reshape the economy, labor markets, and society at large.

“This technology will transform our country. It will transform the world,” Sanders said, adding that the speed of adoption demands far more scrutiny than it has received so far.

As part of that concern, Sanders reiterated his call for a temporary moratorium on new data center construction. He said the explosive buildout of energy-intensive facilities — required to power advanced AI models — should be slowed to allow policymakers time to assess economic, social, and environmental consequences.

“I think you’ve got to slow this process down,” Sanders said. “It’s not good enough for the oligarchs to tell us, ‘It’s coming, you adapt.’”

Sanders questioned how AI-driven productivity gains would translate into tangible benefits for everyday Americans, particularly if automation displaces large numbers of workers. He raised concerns about job losses, access to health care, and housing affordability, arguing that technological progress without a broader social framework risks deepening inequality.

Earlier this month, Sanders began publicly advocating for a data center pause, framing it as a way to “give democracy a chance to catch up” with the pace of AI development.

He has repeatedly pointed to the outsized influence of tech billionaires involved in advancing AI, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, arguing that their priorities may not align with the interests of working Americans.

“Technology itself is not bad,” Sanders said in an exchange with CNN’s Jake Tapper. “But the purpose of technology must be to improve life for human beings — not simply to make the wealthiest people in the world even richer.”