Senior members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have raised alarms about foreign interference aimed at disrupting the US’s advancement in artificial intelligence (AI). They pointed to growing evidence indicating that China and other adversaries are supporting campaigns against the construction and expansion of data centers, which are crucial infrastructure for AI development.
The committee’s letter to the Trump administration demands heightened scrutiny of possible links between foreign actors and domestic groups opposing AI-related infrastructure projects. Chairman Brett Guthrie emphasized the stakes involved, noting that data centers form the backbone of modern computing, and that efforts to stall their development threaten US technological leadership.
Committee leaders referenced recent findings from the Bitcoin Policy Institute and Power the Future, which documented how international actors use state media, nonprofits, and undisclosed funding channels to influence US policy and public opinion on AI. One highlighted example was the funding network tied to Neville Roy Singham, a Shanghai-based US expatriate linked to over $278 million in donations to American nonprofits between 2017 and 2023. Singham’s network has faced previous government scrutiny for activities seen as hostile to US interests.
These concerns come amid ongoing US-China discussions about establishing international guidelines for AI development. Nevertheless, the lawmakers warned that foreign interference through disinformation and advocacy against data centers poses a strategic threat. They specifically noted the AI Data Center Moratorium Act, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which calls for a nationwide halt on data center projects, as a focal point that could inadvertently play into adversaries’ hands.
The committee has reached out to federal scientific advisors and the FBI to investigate the scope of foreign influence campaigns targeting the US AI sector. Guthrie stressed the importance of transparency about who finances these disinformation efforts to protect critical infrastructure investments and maintain America’s competitive edge in AI technology.