Opinion: A data center moratorium would be a gift to China | Staff columnists, Editorials

Donald Kimball, communications manager and Tech Exchange editor for Washington Policy Center, penned an opinion piece for thegazette.com arguing against a proposed moratorium on AI data center development in the United States. Kimball contends that such a pause, advocated by several U.S. state legislatures and Senator Bernie Sanders, would not effectively slow AI development but would instead weaken the U.S.'s position against China in the global AI race. While acknowledging concerns about job loss and potential risks of superintelligence, Kimball asserts that a data center moratorium is a self-inflicted wound. He argues that the global AI ecosystem relies on accessible and widespread development platforms, and hindering U.S. infrastructure expansion would encourage AI developers to choose non-U.S. platforms, similar to Microsoft's late entry into the smartphone market. Kimball emphasizes that AI is a multi-layered ecosystem, and a data center moratorium would only target one component, failing to stop overall AI growth while making U.S. offerings less competitive. He suggests that winning the AI race requires moving beyond data centers alone to integrate AI into other infrastructure, such as broadband and cellular towers, citing China's lead in 5G deployment as a cautionary tale. He warns that ceding data center growth would hamper the U.S.'s ability to expand into these new deployment methods and prevent it from reclaiming technological leadership.