Detroit, Michigan, US Senate candidate Dr. Abdul Al-Sayed speaks at Senator Bernie Sanders’ ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ rally.
Jim West UCG | Universal Images Group | getty images
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate running for the Democratic nomination in the Michigan Senate primary on August 4, sees a fundamental risk in the rise of artificial intelligence. And he’s betting that fears over emerging technology and the data centers that power it could play a key role in the race.
“I haven’t really had any conversations, nor have I put any stops where data centers don’t come where AI is,” El-Sayed told CNBC. “This is an issue I’m hearing about everywhere, and it’s one of those issues that, as usual, D.C. has been slower to pay attention to than the rest of the country.”
El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former public health official, is part of a cadre of left-wing Democratic candidates — some of whom have made progress in New York and colorado In recent weeks – efforts have been made to harass establishment candidates. and like many progressiveEl-Sayed has claimed a more hostile position towards technology on AI and data centers than her opponent, Representative Haley Stevens, who is a libertarian. silent support Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
A tight race is crucial for Democrats if they want to flip the Senate. El-Sayed and Stevens will try to defend Senator Gary Peters’ seat, a democrat, Evacuating. The primary winner will face former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican., In the general elections. Cook Political Report with Amy Walter The race is rated a “toss up”.
It could also be seen as a harbinger of a larger civil war within the Democratic Party, as progressives and moderates tussle for control. And the divide between El-Sayed and Stevens over AI and data centers could be a test case for Democrats on how to message on the issue going forward.
“There are a lot of people in a lot of places who will take lessons from the outcome of this race,” he said. tyler simkoAssociate Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan. “People are going to try to guess the feasibility of this type of progressive argument on data centers and AI.”
new technology vs old technology
While Michigan isn’t in the top-10 in terms of number of AI data centers — 77 are currently operating in the state, according to a public databaseAnd more in the pipeline – anti-data center sentiment Construction is visible in the state. across the country, Fear of AI in general are increasing, many recent poll Has been found.
El-Sayed says he has a plan.
In January heterms of engagement“As for data centers. El-Sayed did not seek to put a halt to their development, as some of his supporters, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have recently. But he has vowed to impose strict restrictions on their growth, including job guarantees, a commitment not to raise utility rates and environmental protections.
And earlier this month, they unveiled a multidimensional policy To rein in AI that includes public ownership of technology, AI dividends paid to the public, mandatory divestment of AI developers from major tech companies, and a new tax on AI automation.
El-Sayed said, “The idea that we should allow the world’s largest corporations, billionaires who are not accountable to any of us, to develop technology that can fundamentally change the nature of the human experience without democratic oversight is untenable.” “AI may be new technology, but democracy is old technology. And I trust that old technology to hold that new technology accountable.”
Meanwhile, Stevens, who has represented Michigan’s 11th congressional district since 2019, has been less vocal.
A spokesperson said he is a top Democrat House Research and Technology Subcommittee and served on a Bipartisan House AI Task Force In the last Congress.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., speaks during a rally on the west front of the U.S. Capitol to support research and policies to treat breast cancer that are threatened by proposed Medicaid cuts on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | getty images
He also co-led the legislation – which was Signed into law in 2020 — which promotes research into identifying deepfakes and helped write the Chips and Science Act of 2022, which aims to invest in AI security programs and boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
According to his campaign, Stevens has a four-pronged approach to dealing with AI risks. This includes expanded job training to counter job losses, maintaining human control over AI technology, and ensuring that algorithms are not used to discriminate in areas such as employment, education, and housing.
On data centers, Stevens’ campaign said it is working to ensure they create union jobs but do not result in higher costs for utilities.
“Congress must take concrete steps to ensure that not a single Michigan job is lost and not a single Michigander’s costs increase as a result of artificial intelligence – I want to reduce costs and create jobs in Michigan,” Stevens said in an emailed statement. “As our world and Michigan’s economy adapt to new technologies, I will always fight to protect our workers, create good-paying union jobs, and stand up for Michigan families.”
His campaign did not make him available for an interview for this story.
‘Further left than Bernie’
As big as AI and data centers are in the minds of some voters, the Michigan Senate race won’t hinge solely on those issues.
El-Sayed and Stevens have clashed over health care – they have advocated for universal Medicare and co-authored a 2021 book While on this topic, Stevens has advocated for the expansion of the Affordable Care Act and the creation of a government-run health insurance program..
Throughout the race, El-Sayed has taken aim at Stevens for taking corporate money, which he has suggested explains her relatively liberal stance on AI.
“It’s not clear that in that campaign they’re actually putting forward any original ideas about how to deal with these problems. And they’re also taking money from everyone Corporations that are part of the problemSo it’s not surprising that they don’t have anything constructive to say about it,” El-Sayed said.
He has also repeatedly attacked Stevens for supporting Israel and taking Significant campaign contributions from pro-Israel groups.
Meanwhile, Stevens has described El-Sayed as an extremist and a propaganda tool. Al-Sayed loves to create topic of discussion social media videoWho has been compared to New York Mayor and fellow leftist Zohran Mamdani. She has portrayed herself as the more experienced candidate and the one with the best chance of defeating Rogers in this November’s general election.
“I’m not trying to sell a book or a podcast,” Stevens said during opening remarks at Tuesday’s debate. “I’m the only person on this platform who doesn’t have a talent agent who can introduce me to paid speaking engagements. And unlike my opponent, I’m not running into a mic or camera the first time I see one.”
Tuesday’s debate was the first time El-Sayed and Stevens faced off since the contest became a two-way race. At the debate, Stevens said data centers should do their fair share, but she also wants Michigan to be “at the forefront of innovation and manufacturing.”
Stevens said, “I visited hundreds of manufacturing shops. They’re using this technology. We want jobs. We can’t force workers to pay for it.”
State Senator Mallory McMorrow, who presented her detailed plans AI security And data centers earlier this year, suspended his campaign On 5th July. She has said she would not support the face-off, which is tied to virtually According to post-debate polling.
But in an interview with CNBC days before suspending his campaign, McMorrow sharply criticized El-Sayed’s AI proposals.
“I saw a headline about their plans, who the candidates are Left ahead of Bernie on AIWhich might be fine for the Democratic primary, but I also don’t believe it’s particularly realistic,” McMorrow said. “It seems like this effort is just a desire to move to the far left.”
McMorrow and other critics have questioned the feasibility of El-Sayed’s proposal, which includes 50% public ownership and direct payments to Americans in addition to expanded unemployment benefits and the establishment of a Food and Drug Administration-style safety testing agency within the federal government to test emerging AI technology.
Others argue that such restrictions could stifle innovation and hinder the US in the AI race rather than boost foreign competitors like China.
Al-Sayed rejected those claims. He countered that the further left plan would be full ownership instead of the 50% he is proposing. And if properly enacted, he believes his proposal would hold large corporations accountable while keeping America competitive.
“I think this is technology that has the potential to change the world. We could inspire it to do some really amazing things for mankind, or it could do some really dangerous things for mankind,” El-Sayed said. “What I’m concerned about is not the technology itself, it’s the incentives that drive the development of the technology. And right now those incentives are for profit maximization.”