Sanders Push for an AI Moratorium Aims to Play on Fears, Not the Facts

By SBE Council at 18 December, 2025, 12:04 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. - In response to Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) push for a moratorium on artificial intelligence (AI) data centers to slow the advancement and use of the technology, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) President & CEO Karen Kerrigan issued the following statement:

"The marketplace, small businesses, consumers, and workers are responding positively to AI. Senator Sanders push for a moratorium aims to play on fear. The facts and signals point to widespread benefits across the U.S. economy and for local communities, including big gains for small businesses and their employees. Over two years of survey research conducted by our organization show significant benefits for small businesses in terms of productivity, efficiency, and expansion opportunities for firms that are using AI. Moreover, the adoption of AI in the workplace has led to positive experiences for employees such as improving work quality and boosting pay and benefits. Policy should be advancing to broaden these benefits, not restricting them as a moratorium would do."

"Senator Sanders asserts that his moratorium would give 'democracy a chance to catch up' - rhetoric aimed at rousing misplaced fear and the doom-and-gloomers. But his effort, if successful, would actually leave the U.S. and Americans behind. No doubt China is cheering the Senator along."

"Putting the brakes on the AI ecosystem would result in big losses for U.S. competitiveness, innovation, job creation, and economic opportunity. As our surveys have consistently revealed, small business owners report that AI allows entrepreneurs and their employees to focus on higher-value work, and the time and savings accrued through these tools are rolled back into strategic growth, new investments, keeping prices stable for customers, increased wages and benefits, paying off debt, among other benefits."

"Given the extraordinary benefits and momentum in the marketplace, and for local economies and small businesses and across the U.S., we urge Senator Sanders to focus on bipartisan efforts to ensure our businesses and workers continue to strengthen their AI skills and the needed infrastructure to support the transformative opportunities that lie ahead."

Related content:

AI Findings from SBE Council's "Small Business Technology Use Survey," April 2025 :

● AI Investment is Robust: Small-business investment in AI tools and solutions will be strong over the next twelve months: 96% of small business owners who have deployed AI in their businesses will continue investments - 70% plan to increase their spend, and 26% will maintain their current levels of investment.

● Nearly all small-business users - 91% - say AI tools are vital to their competitiveness.

● 82% - believe winning the global AI race is essential to the future of the U.S. economy.

● 81% describe employee engagement with AI as positive, 17% are neutral, and only 2% characterize it as negative.

AI is Powering Small Business: Survey and Report Finds $273.5 Billion Saved by Small Businesses Annually, SBE Council Report, October 2023.

CONTACT: Karen Kerrigan, [email protected]

SBE Council is a nonpartisan advocacy, research and education organization dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship. For more than 30 years, SBE Council has advanced a range of private sector and public policy initiatives to strengthen the ecosystem for strong startup activity and small business growth.

Visit www.sbecouncil.org for additional information. X: @SBECouncil

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