Washington, D.C.— U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has voiced strong opposition to President Donald Trump's recent agreement to establish a massive artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Dubai. Khanna contends that the decision contradicts the administration's "America First" policy and overlooks opportunities to bolster the U.S. economy through domestic technological investments.
Key Facts:
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Project Details: A 5-gigawatt AI data center spanning 10 square miles is planned for Abu Dhabi, potentially becoming the world's largest AI facility.
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U.S. Involvement: American companies, including OpenAI, are expected to operate and manage the data center, providing cloud services across the region.
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Khanna's Critique: The congressman questions why such a significant project isn't being developed in U.S. regions like Pennsylvania or Ohio, which are seeking economic revitalization.
During an interview on ABC News's "This Week," Khanna expressed his disapproval, stating,
"I don’t like the fact that the biggest AI center, research center, is going to be in Dubai." He further questioned the alignment of this move with the "America First" philosophy, asking, "What happened to 'America First?'"
The planned AI hub in Abu Dhabi is part of a broader initiative to strengthen U.S.-UAE economic ties. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized that American firms would oversee the data centers, ensuring the extension of U.S. technological infrastructure to a strategic partner in the Middle East.
However, Khanna and other critics argue that such international projects may undermine domestic job creation and technological leadership. They advocate for prioritizing investments in American communities that could benefit from the economic boost associated with large-scale tech developments.
Do You Know? The proposed 5-gigawatt AI data center in Abu Dhabi is expected to consume energy equivalent to five nuclear power plants, highlighting the massive scale of the project.
Key Terms:
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AI Data Center: A facility dedicated to housing computer systems and associated components for processing and storing large-scale artificial intelligence applications.
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America First Policy: A political stance prioritizing domestic interests and economic growth over international engagements.
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OpenAI: An American artificial intelligence research organization known for developing advanced AI models and technologies.