America seems to be on the precipice of a future technological golden age. Whether we take steps toward that future could depend on which political vision prevails over the next few election cycles.

Speaking alongside President Donald Trump at the White House in September, Elon Musk predicted a world where artificial intelligence and advanced robotics create an “age of abundance.” Musk suggests these technologies could eventually provide your average person with better medical care than what today’s wealthiest individuals enjoy.

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This optimistic vision aligns well with Trump’s repeated promises of a new American golden age. Yet, as his administration works to accelerate technological advancement, an increasingly influential wing on the far left appears determined to slam on the brakes.

Trump’s vision of a golden age

The Trump administration has made American leadership in artificial intelligence a cornerstone of its economic agenda. Through its AI Action Plan and executive orders, the administration has prioritized eliminating regulatory barriers, constructing data centers and expanding energy infrastructure necessary to power the AI revolution.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has argued that AI and automation could help create a new era of American manufacturing. In an interview from 2025, Bessent suggested that the advanced “smart factories” of tomorrow could overcome labor-cost issues, making manufacturing in the United States far more economically feasible.

Imagine a future in America where advanced robotics makes domestic manufacturing globally competitive, where AI leads to major medical breakthroughs and where technological innovation produces unprecedented economic prosperity.

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Of course, there are legitimate questions about how this societal transformation will unfold, but the potential benefits are incredible.

The far left wants to hit the brakes

While many in the Trump administration plan for a golden age, Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and his fellow democratic socialists are promoting an entirely different future.

In March, Sanders and New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed a nationwide moratorium on new data center construction until Congress establishes a sufficient regulatory system for the industry.

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These positions have quickly become commonplace for Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) activists and candidates. Many of these DSA-endorsed candidates support data center moratoriums and push these sorts of proposals at the state and local level.

But Sanders’ anti-AI sentiment goes way further. His American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would effectively nationalize 50% of the AI industry, converting those stakes into a government-controlled fund. The plan would also include stacking the boards of these companies with federally picked appointees to influence corporate decisions.

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More recently, Sanders introduced legislation that would permanently prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence. This plan would establish a new federal AI agency and halt other advanced AI development until regulators approve continued efforts. Under this proposal, individuals who violate the research bans could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

The Trump administration has made American leadership in artificial intelligence a cornerstone of its economic agenda. 

Think about that. At a time when America is competing with China for technological supremacy, one of the country’s most prominent socialist politicians wants federal bureaucrats to target AI scientists with potential prison time for developing AI research it deems too advanced.

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The cost of standing still

To be sure, the AI revolution comes with many legitimate concerns that deserve conversation. Potential job displacement, privacy violations, algorithmic manipulation and the possible misuse of advanced AI are issues that will likely need to be addressed.

However, the consequences of deliberately suppressing technological innovation are rarely given equal attention.

Consider the potential benefits of AI-assisted drug discovery, which could lead to better treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other conditions. AI-enhanced robotics and logistics could transform manufacturing, increase agricultural output and help elderly and disabled Americans maintain their independence.

Imagine the lives and the industries that could be saved and the economic opportunities that could spring up from these technologies that we have only now begun to understand.

Under the far left’s proposals, we may never see these benefits materialize. Sanders says he is concerned that average Americans will be left behind in the AI revolution, but his proposed restrictions threaten to undermine the very innovations that could cause growth in societal prosperity.

China won’t be hitting the brakes

Perhaps the most concerning consequence of the far left’s vision is America’s geopolitical future.

Like America, China is also pursuing AI at breakneck speeds. While America has enjoyed a substantial lead in this race, the recent Stanford University 2026 AI Index showed the performance gap between American and Chinese models has effectively disappeared.

The proposals from Sanders and the far left to stall AI research and data center construction give the Chinese Communist Party opportunity to pull ahead in the AI race. If China were to take the lead in the AI race, America’s global status economically and geopolitically could be severely diminished.

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At the same White House meeting where Musk outlined his optimistic vision of the future, Trump warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping “will take every data center that we don’t want.”

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The AI revolution carries great potential for increased prosperity unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime. It would be a historic tragedy if America surrendered that opportunity because our politicians were more afraid of technological progress than our geopolitical rivals.