AI's populist moment
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Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
AI has hit the campaign trail, with candidates in both parties casting it as a fight over jobs and corporate power.
Why it matters: AI is emerging as a stand-in for kitchen-table concerns like paychecks, power bills and the future of the economy.
- Democrats and Republicans at the state level are testing whether anti-Big Tech messaging can compete with an industry pouring billions into AI infrastructure and political influence.
Driving the news: Several Democrats this cycle are echoing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and his critique of concentrated tech power.
- Some Republicans are adopting their own version, focusing on workforce disruption, energy costs and anger over tech companies.
Between the lines: The rhetoric may differ, but the emerging populist AI playbook has the same target: Big Tech.
In Michigan, Republican Tom Leonard is calling for a one-year moratorium on data center construction in his bid for governor.
- "There is no doubt that AI in the months and in the years ahead is going to create issues for people finding jobs, and frankly, taxpayers should never be subsidizing that. So I say it starts with cutting off the corporate welfare," Leonard, a former Michigan House Speaker, told Axios.
- Other Republicans from Oklahoma to Maryland are also calling to pause new data center construction.
Democrats taking a strong stance on pausing new data center development are also skeptical of AI companies' claims they're acting in the public interest.
- Democratic New York state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, who is part of a multistate working group on tech legislation, said that Anthropic's recent commitment to pay for its data center needs "isn't a clear win for consumers."
- "We believe this is an important step and that we have more to do to ensure our data centers benefit nearby communities," an Anthropic spokesperson said in a statement.
Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman, who's running for governor, said that "Anthropic is not advocating for the people. Anthropic is advocating for itself, just like every corporation that has been using our campaign finance laws to have their way."
- "I would very much like to see more data about how it's good for consumers," Romman added. "At the end of the day, AI is displacing jobs and causing psychosis and mental health challenges in people."
Friction point: Candidates face pressure from super PAC money on one side and grassroots organizing on the other.
- Calls from constituents to Hill offices in both parties asking about data center impacts are pouring in, one industry source said, describing it as "ubiquitous."
- None of the PACs, even the Anthropic-backed ones positioning themselves as consumer-friendly, are aligned with these populist candidates as of now.
How it works: Data center fights are happening at the local level where county and city governments control whether shovels hit the ground or permits get approved.
- State-level lawmakers have a better shot at pausing project approvals than candidates gunning for federal office.
The big picture: Sanders, who took his populist message to California this week alongside presidential hopeful Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), wants politicians to think bigger.
- "What I am looking at right now goes beyond electric rates," Sanders said in a call with reporters ahead of his trip. "It goes to who will essentially control this transformative technology."
- "Will it simply be Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and other multibillionaires who make huge amounts of money off of this, or will AI and robotics work to improve life for human beings?"
