Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., on Saturday dismissed what he called “AI doomsdaying” and warned that China is benefiting from an American “overreaction” as the two countries compete for dominance in artificial intelligence, he said in a post on X as he shared a Bloomberg analysis.
“AI supremacy and energy dominance underpins our national security,” Fetterman wrote, adding that pulling back on the technology would help America’s competitors. “China continues to fuel and benefit from our overreaction,” he wrote. He also said he rejects “the political pandering and hyperbole over data centers or AI doomsdaying.”
Fetterman has repeatedly urged aggressive U.S. investment in AI and data centers. He reacted this month to reporting about Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., considering a pause on AI development by saying “America must lead in the development of AI, otherwise we live under China’s rules.” He also opposed a March proposal to impose a moratorium on new AI data centers, calling the idea “China First,” according to his remarks.
President Donald Trump has urged governors and local officials to welcome AI data centers and praised their job creation, saying at the White House that “the construction jobs are enormous” and that he would welcome a big AI plant in a town. The president has said the industry needs better public relations as Americans express concerns about local data center construction.
Trump signed an executive order in July aimed at expediting the permitting process for data centers, the White House said. A Gallup poll in May found a majority of Americans opposed construction of new data centers near where they live, citing concerns about electricity and water consumption and environmental impact. Bloomberg’s analysis, which Fetterman shared, said the U.S. lead over China in AI is narrowing and that Chinese companies are deploying advanced models at a faster pace. Fox News Digital reporters Alex Nitzberg and James Cirrone contributed to this report.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
