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War Official Warns of Foreign Influence in Anti-AI Movement
Developing
In Short: Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael warned that foreign adversaries are using propaganda and 'malign influence' to fuel opposition to data centers and artificial intelligence advancements.
Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael warned that foreign adversaries are using propaganda and 'malign influence' to fuel opposition to data centers and artificial intelligence advancements.
Michael referred to data centers as the 'electricity that fuels the superintelligence revolution,' emphasizing their crucial role in ensuring the U.S. maintains its advantage in AI.
Protests against data centers have popped up across the country, with some lawmakers questioning the role of foreign influence in these demonstrations.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about the funding of nonprofits and organizations opposing data center development, including millions of dollars from tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation Boston, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has openly opposed data centers, citing control by billionaires.
Michael noted that the Department of War's use of AI has grown significantly since Secretary Pete Hegseth took office, expanding from roughly 70,000 users to approximately 1.7 million today.
The Department of War is deploying AI across three main areas: enterprise operations, warfighting, and intelligence.
The debate over data center production has become a contentious issue ahead of the midterm elections, with lawmakers taking near-partisan stances on the matter.
Background
House Speaker Mike Johnson called opposition to AI data centers a 'Chinese psyop' during an interview on Fox News, repeating the claim on Monday.
In addition to the data center bill, the Senate is also considering a bill designed to prohibit congressional stock trading.
What's still developing
- "Workers are rising up across the country in a growing movement against the tech billionaires – from fights against data centers in hundreds of cities, to labor organizing at the world’s biggest tech corporations," the post read.