The blue wave in the US midterm election is impacting the AI industry; 43 out of 44 local proposals to pause data centers have passed.

The US midterm election saw Democrats gain control of both the Senate and House. Campaigns focused on holding AI companies accountable, casting a shadow over the industry with potential regulatory hurdles and slowed data center construction. Of 44 local proposals to pause data centers, 43 passed. An NBC poll shows 76% of voters oppose building data centers in their communities. Experts suggest attempts by Republicans to ban state-level AI restrictions may be ending. OpenAI and Anthropic have not commented. According to The Wall Street Journal, CEOs are reportedly discussing privately the issue of limited computing capacity.