Safety

Voters across the United States broadly backed candidates and ballot measures opposing data center construction in the 2026 midterm elections, leading to wins for gubernatorial candidates in major hubs like Texas and Georgia who campaigned on moratoriums. Nearly two-thirds of voters cited data centers and their connection to AI as a factor in their vote, rejecting tens of local development measures despite significant campaign spending by the tech industry.

Quanta Magazine explores new research investigating whether artificial intelligence models have the capacity for introspection, or awareness of their own internal thought processes. The piece connects this AI research to broader philosophical and psychological debates regarding consciousness and whether introspection is an illusion.

Leading AI laboratories have established election war rooms to monitor and respond to deepfakes during the midterm elections. The piece examines whether this traditional social media strategy is effective at countering AI-generated election misinformation.