Feds Target AI Critics as "Foreign Agents"
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Trump administration warns AI critics may face prosecution as foreign agents.
The Trump administration and Justice Department have warned that opponents of AI and data centers may face criminal liability if their actions further foreign goals. President Trump posted that opposition to AI is a "SICK conspiracy" traced to China. Senator Tom Cotton requested DOJ investigate foreign influence efforts against AI infrastructure, citing Shanghai-based tech mogul Neville Roy Singham. Kevin O'Leary, a Trump supporter, claimed without evidence that China funded protesters opposing data centers, later apologizing. Polling shows 71% of Americans oppose local AI data centers, and 63% say AI is advancing too quickly.
What commenters are saying
Top comment calls the policy "wild" and warns it will harm the economy. Commenters split into camps: those arguing China is indeed amplifying anti-AI sentiment (citing TikTok algorithms and DOJ cases) versus those who see this as a Red Scare tactic to suppress legitimate public concern. Several note the irony of Trump alleging a vast Chinese conspiracy while his allies produce no evidence, and point out that AI companies' own executives (like Dario Amodei) have stoked public fear by predicting mass job losses and societal disruption.