André Carson's Record on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

André Carson's Position on AI

André Carson's clearest AI position is formal support for a proposed moratorium on construction and upgrades of covered AI data centers. He was listed as an original cosponsor of House bill H.R. 9442, the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, with the sponsorship dated June 24, 2026, according to the official bill status record.

As introduced, the bill would halt construction or upgrading of new or existing covered AI data centers once enacted. The pause would end only after laws set product review, worker and benefit-sharing protections, utility and environmental protections, community approval, no subsidies and union labor standards, and expressly terminate the pause. The bill has no fixed one-year expiry, and its latest recorded action is referral to committees, with no enactment recorded.

The record also includes support for business use of AI. Carson voted yea on the House motion to suspend the rules and pass the AI for Main Street Act, as amended, on January 20, 2026. He also voted yea on the House motion to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act on April 28, 2025, which became Public Law 119-12 on May 19, 2025, according to the House Clerk's roll-call record for that vote.

His September 2026 newsletter says AI can benefit people and lists education, privacy and bias safeguards, and human responsibility for high-stakes decisions among its priorities. The inspected record therefore points to targeted limits on data centers and specific harmful uses, alongside support for business AI assistance. It does not establish blanket opposition to AI, and it does not establish blanket support for it either.

Background at a Glance

André Carson is a Democrat who represents Indiana's 7th district as U.S. Representative, and he was 52 years old on November 4, 2026.

The birth date and education details come from the official Congressional Directory. The age is calculated from the verified birth date of October 16, 1974.

Background and Political Leaning

Carson grew up on Indianapolis's east side and attended Arsenal Tech High School, according to his official congressional biography.

The Congressional Directory lists a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and management from Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin, in 2003. It also lists a master of business administration (MBA) from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana, in 2005.

Carson worked as an investigative officer with the Indiana State Excise Police from 1997 to 2006. In 2006, the directory lists him in the anti-terrorism unit of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's Intelligence Fusion Center. The directory also lists him as a member of the Indianapolis City-Council from 2007 to 2008.

The official biography identifies membership or leadership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus. That affiliation does not establish agreement with every policy.

Statements and Actions on AI

On September 17, 2026, Carson was listed as a signatory to Representative Yassamin Ansari's letter seeking international AI security safeguards, according to her press release. He is a signatory, not the letter's lead, so the letter is a joint statement rather than his solo position.

On September 23, 2026, Carson questioned witnesses at a hearing about AI safeguards in military and intelligence systems, including where humans must keep decision authority, according to his press release. A hearing and questions do not establish an enacted operational restriction.

Carson's newsletter of September 28, 2026, titled "Congress needs to act on AI," says AI can benefit people. The five priorities it names are policy positions, and the inspected record does not show that any of them became law:

• education and literacy about AI
• responsible use of AI
• privacy and bias safeguards
• human responsibility for high-stakes decisions
• regulation of data centers

Policies Supported and Opposed

Carson holds formal cosponsor roles on seven AI-related House measures and voted yea on two.

A cosponsorship records sponsorship, not a vote on the bill. A referral to committee is the latest recorded action on each cosponsored measure, and none of them is recorded as enacted.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act, S. 146, is the only measure here recorded as enacted. The House passed it 409 to 2 on April 28, 2025, and Carson voted yea. The Senate passed it by unanimous consent, not by a recorded roll call, and it became Public Law 119-12 on May 19, 2025.

The enacted law addresses knowing publication of nonconsensual intimate depictions, including specified digital forgeries made with AI or other software. Covered platforms must set up a notice and removal process within one year of enactment. They must also remove covered depictions within 48 hours of a valid request, and it does not ban AI or synthetic media.

H.R. 5764, the AI for Main Street Act, passed the House 395 to 14 on January 20, 2026, the same day Carson voted yea on the motion to suspend the rules and pass it as amended. The House-passed text would require small business development centers to help businesses evaluate and use AI, with guidance and training on cybersecurity, data and intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.

Section 3 authorizes no additional funding. The bill was received in the Senate on January 26, 2026, and referred to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, with no law entry. A yea vote supports the whole business-assistance bill and does not establish his view of every AI use.

Current Office and the 2026 Election

Fox News's national House results page reports that the Associated Press (AP) called Indiana's 7th district for Carson on November 3, 2026, reelecting him.

Scope and Open Questions

The restrictions Carson supports apply to covered AI data centers, and the introduced text defines that scope. A covered facility includes one used for AI models at scale, plus an alternative branch for facilities over 20 megawatts (MW) with high-density rack power of at least 20 kilowatts (kW) or liquid or immersion cooling. The text does not automatically cover every server facility.

The bill would also require quarterly public reports from the Energy Department on financing, water, power, emissions, wastewater, cooling chemicals, noise, jobs, agreements, and subsidies. Verification powers would include inspections and subpoenas. It would also restrict exports, reexports, and in-country transfers of computing infrastructure for covered AI uses to entities in countries without comparable safeguards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does André Carson support regulating AI data centers?

Yes. He is an original cosponsor of H.R. 9442, the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, which would halt construction and upgrades of covered AI data centers once enacted. The bill has been referred to committees, and no enactment is recorded.

His September 28, 2026 newsletter also calls for regulation of data centers.

Did André Carson vote for AI legislation?

He voted yea on two House measures. The AI for Main Street Act passed the House 395 to 14 on January 20, 2026, and the TAKE IT DOWN Act passed the House 409 to 2 on April 28, 2025.

Only the TAKE IT DOWN Act is recorded as enacted, as Public Law 119-12 on May 19, 2025. A yea vote supports the whole bill and does not establish a broader position on AI.

Has the AI data center moratorium become law?

No enactment is recorded. The latest action in the inspected status record is the June 24, 2026 referral to the Energy and Commerce and Foreign Affairs committees.