As President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare to meet later this month, much of the attention will center on trade, tariffs and security. Behind those issues lies a larger competition that will determine the economic and military balance of power for decades to come: leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). 

While Beijing remains the top threat to American leadership in AI, an equally concerning wave of state and local data center bans is undercutting the infrastructure American AI and our digital lives require. These measures, while well-intentioned and based on real concerns that require a serious response, threaten our national security.

In fact, more than 300 communities across 44 states have adopted moratoriums or bans on data centers, including one in five counties in Georgia. In July, New York became the first state to halt permits for large facilities. Texas has paused new grid connections while regulators audit the backlog. State legislatures have filed nearly 2,000 bills regulating AI. 

Meanwhile, China has made its intentions clear. Beijing’s new five-year plan sets a $1.4 trillion target for its AI industry and is preparing to double its national data center capacity by 2030. 

From our experiences on the Senate Intelligence and........

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