Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

Progressive lawmakers Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have unveiled a bill to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters in the US. The proposed pause aims to ensure the AI boom benefits workers, protects the environment, and does not harm communities.The bill's introduction comes amid growing concerns about the rapid buildout of AI infrastructure and its impact on energy consumption, electricity bills, and the climate crisis. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez argue that a temporary ban would give the US government time to create strong federal safeguards for AI.“AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity,” Sanders said. “The scale, scope, and speed of that change is unprecedented. Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts.”The proposal has gained traction, with at least 11 states considering similar policies. Advocacy groups, including Food and Water Watch, have also called for a federal datacenter moratorium, citing concerns about the sector's impacts on electricity bills and the climate crisis.The bill's supporters argue that datacenters' massive energy consumption and water usage have sparked controversy, especially in drought-ridden areas. If current trends continue, datacenters may account for nearly half of all US emissions from the power sector.“We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity,” Sanders said. “We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue. The time for action is now.”

The UK government's decision to delay new regulations on low-carbon housing in England has sparked concerns that homebuyers will be locked into high gas prices for years to come. The updated regulations, known as the 'Future Homes Standard' (FHS), will require most newly built homes to be equipped with solar panels and heat pumps from March 2028.However, a loophole allowing wood-burning stoves in new homes could undermine efforts to achieve fully carbon-free homes. The FHS aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% compared to existing 2013 standards, but experts warn that wood-burning stoves, which are highly polluting, may account for some of the remaining 25% of emissions.The delay is expected to result in hundreds of thousands of new homes being built with gas heating, despite rising energy costs. Experts argue that this is unacceptable given the availability of low-carbon alternatives like heat pumps. Jan Rosenow, a professor of energy at the University of Oxford, stated, 'It is outrageous that people will be buying homes that are expensively heated with gas when we have perfectly good technology – heat pumps – that can be installed instead.'The government claims that households will save around £1,000 per year on energy bills thanks to the new standards. However, critics argue that the delay and loopholes will hinder progress toward a carbon-free future and leave homeowners vulnerable to energy market fluctuations.

The UK government has rejected a call from the Offshore Energies UK trade body to boost North Sea oil and gas production, despite warnings that the UK will become increasingly reliant on imports at a time of rising global instability.The industry group has urged the government to take action to slow the decline of the North Sea as a provider of energy, citing concerns that consumers will be left more exposed to global volatility and higher emissions if domestic production is not increased.The warning comes as the war in the Middle East has triggered the biggest oil and gas supply shock in the history of the market, causing UK gas prices to more than double in under a month.A government spokesperson said that issuing new licences to explore new fields cannot guarantee energy security and will not reduce bills, adding that the only way to truly protect against price spikes is to get off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets.The decline of the North Sea oil and gas basin means that the UK's reliance on gas imports is likely to increase sharply from about 14% last year to more than a quarter of its gas supply by 2030, and almost half by 2035.David Whitehouse, the chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, argued that energy security means backing homegrown oil and gas alongside renewables, and that a stable new tax regime for the industry is essential to reduce reliance on volatile imports and protect skilled jobs.