AI and data centers have leapfrogged Israel, racism, and crypto as US campaign topics

AI has become a major campaign issue in the United States. A Washington Post analysis of more than 1,200 websites from active candidates found that AI comes up in nearly 40 percent of all races for the House, Senate, and governor seats. Data centers and their impact on local electricity costs, water use, and land use dominate the conversation.

Democratic candidates bring up AI twice as often as Republicans, according to the analysis, focusing on AI risks, regulation, and child safety. Republicans lean mostly on national security and competition with China. Separate polls show that a majority of Americans are skeptical of AI and worry about job losses.