AI on the ballot: Data centers and the 2026 midterms
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, artificial intelligence has become an increasingly important issue in races across the country. Voters are weighing the costs and benefits of new data centers in their communities, and policymakers are grappling with those local concerns alongside the national security implications of building AI infrastructure abroad. At the same time, AI-enabled interference has raised concerns about the integrity of the information ecosystem, particularly during elections.
On October 21, the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative at Brookings will host an event to explore how decisions about where AI is built and how it is used have become part of the choices facing voters this fall. The event will feature a fireside chat with Rep. James A. Himes (D-Conn.) on AI and the elections, followed by a panel discussion with Brookings experts on the economic, community, and geopolitical dimensions of data center development.
This event will be open to attend in person or watch online. Online viewers can submit questions via e-mail to events@brookings.edu.
Agenda
Welcome remarks
- Elham Tabassi, Director, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative; Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development
Fireside chat
- The Hon. James A. Himes (D-Conn.), U.S. House of Representatives
- Elham Tabassi, Director, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative; Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development
Panel
- Kyle Chan, Fellow, Foreign Policy; John L. Thornton China Center
- Mark Muro, Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro
- Anthony F. Pipa, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development; Center for Sustainable Development
- Thomas Wright, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy; Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology
- Moderator: Valerie Wirtschafter, Fellow, Foreign Policy; Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative
Closing remarks
- Sanjay Patnaik, Director, Center on Regulation and Markets; Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Development; Senior Fellow, Economic Studies