China fuels US AI backlash: Senator

Washington, Aug 23 (IANS) A senior Republican senator has accused China of fuelling opposition to artificial intelligence data centres in the United States as concerns over their heavy use of electricity and water spread across American communities.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina said Beijing wanted to impede the expansion of US computing infrastructure and secure an advantage in the global race to develop AI. He did not offer evidence for the allegation during his interview with NBC News.

“Democrats are being used as pawns for this disinformation campaign run by China to make sure that China wins the AI future instead of America,” Scott said on “Meet the Press”.

His comments came as large data-centre projects became an issue in US midterm campaigns. Residents in several states are protesting facilities that they fear could raise utility bills, consume water and damage farmland.

Scott said data centres were essential for America’s ability to compete with China. But he added that companies should build only in places where communities supported the projects.

“We absolutely have to make sure that data centres only go to communities that want them and they pay their own way,” he said.

Scott said operators should pay for their own electricity and water rather than shift those costs to local consumers.

Political resistance to data centres has crossed party lines. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has paused new projects while the state assesses their effect on power, water and local communities.

Abbott said operators must disclose their water requirements, avoid taking electricity needed by residents and demonstrate that their facilities would reduce consumer power costs.

“Gaining the support of people in local communities is essential,” Abbott told ABC News.

Texas has more than 300 operating data centres and at least 200 additional projects in development, according to an ABC News analysis. Technology companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in the facilities that house computer chips and provide the computing power required for AI.

President Donald Trump has opposed the Texas pause. He said rejecting data centres would be a mistake because the sector “could be bigger than oil”.

The dispute is also affecting Senate contests. A private Republican memo described data centres as “the anchor hanging around” an Ohio senator’s campaign because of his history of supporting such projects.

A Republican Senate candidate in Michigan has endorsed a one-year moratorium. Opposition has also emerged in Pennsylvania, where Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro had previously courted data-centre investment.

The United States and China are competing for leadership in AI, advanced semiconductors and the computing infrastructure needed to train large models. Washington has restricted China’s access to some advanced chips and manufacturing technology.

–IANS

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