PODCAST:
June 9, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson spoke with Abdul El-Sayed, U.S. Senate candidate. They discussed data centers, AI regulation, and political challenges from corporate donations.
MICHIGAN ~ As more A.I. data centers pop up across the country, many communities and political candidates are pushing back against them and demanding regulations on these projects.
One of these politicians is Abdul El-Sayed, a U.S. Senate candidate for Michigan, who told WJR that A.I. data center projects should not receive taxpayer funds and that AI-related infrastructure should face regulations similar to public utilities. He also expressed concerns over how much water these centers use and potential energy cost hikes for residents near them.
“They’re using their power, these big tech corporations, to trump local communities because at the end of the day, they know they can force our hand,” El-Sayed said. “There’s this race to the bottom, so I want to pass this all as federal legislation at the very top so there’s a floor whenever a data center project is proposed that you’re going to invest in the local community rather than asking the local community to invest in you.“
