Bernie Sanders' plans to schmooze with top Beijing AI experts ignites backlash: 'Holy sh--' - Fox News

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is reportedly planning to meet with Chinese AI governance experts and officials in Beijing, according to a Fox News report published Wednesday. The visit occurs while Sanders simultaneously pushes for legislative measures, including a moratorium on new US AI data centers. The Fox report characterizes the juxtaposition as attracting backlash from critics who say partnerships with Chinese state-aligned AI entities undermine safety-first policies.

Neither Sanders's office nor the Chinese Embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for confirmation or comment at publication time. The senator's proposed AI Data Center Moratorium Act, which has secured endorsements from technology ethics groups, calls for a two-year pause on construction permits for large-scale compute clusters exceeding 100 megawatts. Critics argue the Beijing visit could undercut efforts to create a hardline AI supply chain separation.

Sanders appears to view Sino-American AI researcher engagement as separate from federal computing regulation—a divide that invites contending interpretations. Comparable US-China expert workshops have previously drawn bipartisan rebuke, with an Economic Security Working memo from March 2025 labeling even academic exchanges 'realms of asymmetric vulnerability.' The timeline and definite itinerary remain unannounced.