Data Centers, AI, and what comes next:

Look, for my entire career, I’ve been focused on what’s next and what’s on the horizon.

I invested in cell phones back when everyone was using a landline. So I know there’s no turning back the clock on Artificial Intelligence, and I’m actually an optimist about what it can do: the cures, the discoveries, the productivity.

But short-term? I’m hair-on-fire worried about it. Frankly, grappling with the radical changes that AI will bring to our economy, society, and communities was a key reason I decided to run for reelection.

So here’s what I’m doing about it – and what comes next:

Nearly everywhere I go, I hear enormous concern from Virginians about the impact of data centers on their communities and their energy bills.

So this month, I introduced a legislative framework to tackle this issue head-on.

My proposal would establish minimum federal standards for power usage and water usage – and help make sure data centers are set back an appropriate distance from residential communities. This legislation would also give Virginians the transparency you deserve. So that you know when a new data center is proposed in your community – and that these data centers can’t make secret deals with local governments and hide the details from you and your neighbors.

And I’m also supporting the Power for the People Act, a bill that forces data centers to pay for the grid upgrades they require, instead of ratepayers like you. It would make data centers bring their own clean power and battery storage, instead of draining what we’ve got. And it would ensure the work is done with strong labor standards and good-paying jobs.

I think most of us would probably acknowledge that we royally screwed up on social media. But if you think social media created a challenge for your kids? You ain’t seen nothing compared to what AI chatbots could do.

So I’ve introduced a legislative framework to ensure AI systems actually get tested and verified by experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It also would prohibit the federal government from buying or using an AI system capable of generating abusive materials, prohibit software designed to circumvent AI safety controls, and create a private right of action for survivors whose likeness is used to generate AI-produced CSAM.

I’ve served as the Chair or Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee for nearly a decade – so believe me when I say: This technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and without better guardrails, we’re leaving our sensitive data and systems vulnerable.

Think about it this way ... you would never let a car company put a new car on the road without crash-testing it first. Why in the world would we let the most powerful AI models roll out into our economy and our national security systems without the same kind of testing?

So I’m working on legislation to establish a mandatory secure testing environment for the nation’s most advanced AI models before deployment, modernize the federal government’s processes for identifying and disclosing AI-related cybersecurity vulnerabilities, improve information sharing between government and AI developers, and create a voluntary AI safety incident reporting system.

Over the next few years, AI is going to disrupt our economy unlike anything we’ve seen.

Several years ago the private sector was suggesting everyone learn to code to be successful in a modern economy. Well intentioned, but this was the wrong answer. Coding jobs are among the first displaced by AI, so we need to acknowledge that this is an economic challenge unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

First, you can’t fix what you can’t understand – so I’m leading a bipartisan effort to make sure the government actually tracks how AI is impacting jobs, community by community.

Second, I introduced the first bipartisan bill that starts the process of building reskilling pathways so that workers can remain competitive in today’s economy.

And third, we ought to encourage young people to go into careers where we know AI won’t disrupt as quickly and we have unmet demand for a larger workforce – like health care, education, and building trades.

Because the question is: Who benefits from all this – a handful of giant tech companies, or the American people?

These tech companies have to help us get this transition right and, most importantly, help pay for it.

I’m running for reelection because I don’t think we need to be scared of the future – but we do need to be ready for what comes next and make sure every Virginian has a fair shot at being successful in this rapidly changing economy.

Thank you for being a part of this campaign and staying engaged through the critical work that lies ahead.

More soon,

Mark Warner

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