What happened
According to Senator Dave McCormick, China and Russia are allegedly running a campaign to turn Americans against artificial intelligence and data centers. The senator claims that polling shows a significant divide in attitudes towards AI and data centers between the US and China. While AI and data centers are reportedly popular in China, they are met with more skepticism in the US.
Senator McCormick attributes this divide to a foreign influence effort and the tech industry's early missteps. He warns that if China were to become the leader in AI, it would give them a significant military and economic advantage, allowing them to set the rules for the world.
The senator proposes a model for AI oversight, similar to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which would be guided by the federal government. He also discusses the importance of data centers, citing agreements in Pennsylvania towns that protect energy costs and water, expand the tax base, and hire local labor.
Senator McCormick's comments come after reports of suspected Chinese bot farms attempting to manipulate the debate on American AI and energy policy. Experts warn that the Chinese Communist Party will leverage various tools, including American AI and social media platforms, to divide and weaken the US.
