Progressives seek to update Green New Deal for AI era

The Sunrise Movement, a long-time advocate for the Green New Deal, has expanded its focus beyond climate to include emerging issues like AI and data centers, viewing its previous climate work as a baseline. Spokesperson Denae Ávila-Dickson noted that AI is becoming a significant issue for younger generations, necessitating a Green New Deal that addresses data center impacts and job displacement due to AI.

Some progressive candidates, including Kiros, are supporting a federal moratorium on new AI data center construction to mitigate their energy and environmental consequences. Kiros believes the current focus on the intersection of AI and climate will drive the passage of significant climate legislation. However, this progressive stance is not universally shared among all congressional Democrats and is being leveraged by Republicans as part of their midterm election messaging, suggesting Democrats are moving too far left.