AI News Archive: July 15, 2026 — Part 13
Sourced from 500+ daily AI sources, scored by relevance.
- Trump condemns New York's data centre ban amid AI boom
Trump condemns New York's data centre ban amid AI boom thenationalnews.com
- New York's AI data center pause sparks warnings US could lose ground to China
Energy Secretary Chris Wright says New York's AI data center pause is "backwards," while Sen. John Fetterman warns "China wins."
- ‘More bad news’ for people struggling with energy bills: AI data centers are driving costs even higher
The rapid growth of data centers across the country has already stressed power demand and driven up electricity bills. And those impacts are only worsening. Americans could see $6.3 billion added to their energy bills within the next three years, an increase primarily driven by data centers. PJM Interconnection, the largest power grid operator in the United States, revealed on Tuesday the results of its annual power auction —a way to secure electricity generation and set costs three years before that power is actually needed. During the auction, power providers bid on the prices they’re willing to accept during peak demand times, which then become part of customer electricity rates. This year, prices hit PJM’s cap of $325 per megawatt-day. That means an estimated additional $6.3 billion in energy costs, according to Monitoring Analytics, PJM’s independent market monitor. PJM’s auction also tries to secure future electricity demand, but this year it fell 6.8 gigawatts short of PJM’s reliability requirement, which is the amount of power it needs to guarantee grid reliability during a spike in demand. Stress on the power grid is especially concerning during extreme heat, like the country has seen this summer. Without enough capacity, communities could experience brownouts and blackouts. “These auction results show that demand for electricity continues to grow faster than electricity supply,” PJM president and CEO David Mills said in a statement. And the primary driver of that growth, the company said in a post ahead of the auction, is data centers. New data centers (as well as the expansion of existing data centers) can be developed quickly—up to two to three times faster than many of the ways to generate electricity, the grid provider says. “Prices will continue at the maximum level allowed” PJM manages the power grid for 13 states and the District of Columbia. Those 67 million customers have already been dealing with rate increases. Since 2024, these PJM auctions have added some $29 billion in utility costs because of data centers. In PJM’s December 2025 auction , data centers accounted for 40% of capacity costs, or $6.8 billion. “Today, PJM delivered more bad news for people already struggling with higher energy bills: Prices will continue at the maximum level allowed under the law,” Julia Kortrey, director of Strategic Initiatives for the States Program at the clean energy nonprofit Evergreen Action, said in a statement about Tuesday’s auction results. To Kortrey, these rate hikes were avoidable. “PJM continues to slow-walk cheap, clean energy that could lower bills for working families while protecting a system that delivers record profits for member utilities, rather than fixing its problems,” she said. “PJM continues to allow the same utility and fossil fuel companies to cash in while families get stuck with the bill.” Utility bills in general are spiking for millions of Americans. This week, Powerlines, a nonprofit that aims to lower utility bills, released a report showing that utilities across the country requested $18.6 billion in electric and gas rate increases during the first half of 2026 alone. In some instances, those hikes came from spikes in fuel costs or for upgrades to grid infrastructure. Data centers also play a part. Oncor, an electric utility in Texas, requested the largest single increase in the second quarter of 2026, according to that report: $1.2 billion in rate increases, “driven largely by its five-year transmission and distribution spending plan—a $45 billion investment focused on meeting demand from the oil and gas industry and data centers in the Permian Basin.”
- The data center backlash is spreading across the country
New York just became the first state to enact a one-year ban on large new data centers while the state government scrambles to develop regulations addressing challenges like energy demand and water use. “As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” Governor Kathy Hochul said when she announced the executive order , which applies to data centers 50 megawatts (MW) and larger. Hochul also said that she wants to repeal tax exemptions for large data centers. New York is far from alone: Across the U.S., states and cities are taking a range of steps—from ratepayer protection laws to zoning restrictions, moratoriums, and permanent bans—as opposition to data centers grows. Here’s a snapshot: Arizona Under a new ratepayer protection law , state regulators will create rules so data center grid costs won’t be passed to other customers. The state also passed a three-year pause on data center applications for sales tax exemptions. Tucson is working on a new zoning restriction for large data centers. California While many cities and counties across the country have paused data center development, the L.A.-area city of Monterey Park was the first to permanently ban new construction . No statewide moratorium is under consideration yet. Florida A new state law requires data centers to pay their full cost of service and stops utilities from passing data center costs to other customers. Sarasota County has a moratorium in place to stop new large data centers. Georgia Though a statewide moratorium failed this year, 11 counties have moratoriums in place on data center construction. Illinois A state bill would make data centers cover their own costs and boost clean energy use while limiting water consumption. Two counties and two municipalities have moratoriums in place. Iowa Five counties have enacted moratoriums on data center construction. Linn County created strict new zoning rules, including 1,000-foot residential setbacks and detailed water studies. Indiana Seven counties have moratoriums in place. Indianapolis’s city council just voted to recommend a moratorium on approving new data centers, and another city is poised to vote on a moratorium. Maine A statewide data center moratorium passed the legislature, but was vetoed by the governor. Another new law excludes data centers from state tax incentives. Six cities have moratoriums. Maryland Four counties have moratoriums in place, along with the city of Baltimore, which is pausing construction for a year while it works on an impact study. Michigan Twenty-seven towns and cities and 12 counties have moratoriums on new data centers, ranging from months to a year. A bipartisan statewide bill is moving through the legislature, but the governor has said she won’t sign it. Minnesota Minneapolis, along with two other cities, has a moratorium in place on large data center development. A state law restricts data centers to industrial districts. A statewide moratorium was proposed but didn’t pass. New Jersey A new law requires regulators to create a new electric rate for large data centers, make data centers pay for electric upgrades, and require operators to reduce or shift energy use when demand is high. Three counties have banned data centers. New York Before Hochul’s executive order, the state legislature passed a bill that that would impose a one-year moratorium on new data centers of 20 MW or larger—a broader threshold than the executive order. Hochul hasn’t yet signed or vetoed the bill. Two towns have moratoriums in place. Oklahoma A new state law requires large utility customers to cover their cost of service. Both Oklahoma City and Tulsa have moratoriums in place, though a preapproved Meta project in Tulsa was allowed to move forward. A state moratorium stalled. Virginia The town of Warrenton, where Amazon had proposed a 220,000-square-foot data center, enacted a permanent ban on data centers. Two other counties enacted new zoning restrictions. In 2025, state regulators created a new utility rate tier for large users like data centers, requiring them to sign contracts to cover their majority of their costs on the electric grid. The legislature is considering a statewide moratorium. Washington A new state law requires data centers to meet the same strict clean energy requirements as utilities. A bill with more regulations, opposed by Microsoft and other tech companies in the state, failed. In Seattle, the city council temporarily froze new siting for large data centers that require uninterruptible power, giving the city time to conduct impact studies. Spokane also has a moratorium in place. Wisconsin The state legislature considered, but did not pass, a ratepayer protection bill and a moratorium. Five local governments have moratoriums in place; the town of Port Washington, near Milwaukee, was the first in the country to pass an outright ban through a referendum. Approval problems Several other states have local moratoriums in place, from Missouri to North Carolina. (This map tracks the changes across the country.) Others are moving in the other direction—New Hampshire, for example, passed a law stopping local governments from specifically restricting data centers versus other businesses. But even in places without new rules, data centers are struggling to get local approval. Data Center Watch , a group tracking opposition, reported that in the first quarter of this year, 75 data center projects collectively worth $130 billion were stopped or delayed. That’s about the same number as were blocked in all of 2025.
- Boulder City, Nev., Reacts to Surprise Data Center Approval
A data center that some residents in the area were fighting, originally proposed under a city lease, recently received a green light from the Trump administration to build on public land instead.
- Michigan City Rejects Data Center Waiver Request
The Wixom City Council rejected a developer’s request to end the data center moratorium, calling the request “unreasonable as it relates to the potential health, safety and welfare impacts in the city.”
- ASML shares fall after hiking sales forecast for second time this year on strong AI chip demand
ASML on Wednesday raised its guidance for a second time this year as its customers continue to ramp up their production capacity of AI chips.
- AI Demand Powers Forecast Hike, Profit Gains At Tech Giant ASML
AI Demand Powers Forecast Hike, Profit Gains At Tech Giant ASML Barron's
- Australia unveils AI standards to shape roll out of technology
Australia unveils AI standards to shape roll out of technology Nikkei Asia
- Australia to enact AI regulation laws
Australia to enact AI regulation laws The Straits Times
- Australian PM says to enact laws to govern AI
Australia will enact laws to regulate how artificial intelligence data centers use power and water, and to protect creative copyright, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday.
- Australian PM Says To Enact Laws To Govern AI
Australian PM Says To Enact Laws To Govern AI Barron's
- Here’s what Albo’s ‘Office of AI’ means for Australian tech
Australia’s new AI Office grabs the wheel on standards, data centres and creator rights—but the hard rules stay hazy.
- Australia to impose energy and water guardrails on data centers amid AI boom
Australia to impose energy and water guardrails on data centers amid AI boom The Boston Globe
- Australian PM says to enact laws to govern AI
Australia will enact laws to regulate how artificial intelligence data centers use power and water and to protect creative copyright, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday.
- 26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave Fortune
- Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical, parental leave
Meta faces a lawsuit from twenty-six employees alleging AI selection for layoffs. These workers claim the company's systems unfairly targeted those on medical and family leave. The complaint states that AI did not account for protected leave periods. This process allegedly resulted in a disproportionate impact on women and disabled individuals. The lawsuit seeks to preserve employment status pending arbitration proceedings.
- Meta faces lawsuit from 26 employees over AI-based layoffs
Meta faces lawsuit from 26 employees over AI-based layoffs YourStory.com
- Meta used AI to target workers with medical conditions for layoffs, lawsuit claims
Meta used AI to target workers with medical conditions for layoffs, lawsuit claims
- Meta employees sue over layoffs they say were driven by discriminatory AI selection systems
Former and current Meta employees are suing the company in a California federal court over AI-driven mass layoffs. Meta allegedly used internal AI systems to generate the layoff lists when it cut 8,000 workers, disproportionately targeting employees with disabilities or on parental leave. The article Meta employees sue over layoffs they say were driven by discriminatory AI selection systems appeared first on The Decoder .
- Meta used AI to target workers with medical conditions for layoffs, lawsuit claims
Meta used AI to target workers with medical conditions for layoffs, lawsuit claims The Japan Times
- 26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave
26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave Gulf News
- Meta used AI to target workers with medical conditions for layoffs, lawsuit claims
UPDATE 2-Meta used AI to target workers with medical conditions for layoffs, lawsuit claims
- Lawsuit Says Meta's AI Targeted Workers With Medical Conditions for Layoffs
Lawsuit Says Meta's AI Targeted Workers With Medical Conditions for Layoffs PCMag Australia
- Lawsuit Says Meta's AI Targeted Workers With Medical Conditions for Layoffs
Lawsuit Says Meta's AI Targeted Workers With Medical Conditions for Layoffs PCMag UK
- Meta sued over claims AI penalized workers who took maternity leave
A group of 26 Meta employees has sued the company, claiming it used artificial intelligence systems that disproportionately targeted those on medical or family leave for layoffs
- Meta sued over claims AI selected staff with medical conditions for layoffs
Meta sued over claims AI selected staff with medical conditions for layoffs Computing UK
- Meta’s AI-based layoffs allegedly targeted workers who had taken protected leave
The company used “a constellation of internal artificial-intelligence systems” to determine who would be included in its 10% reduction in force, per a lawsuit.
- 26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave
26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave The Boston Globe
- 26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave
26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave Dallas News
- Meta employees sue on allegations company used AI to target workers on medical, parental leave for layoffs
A group of 26 Meta employees allege in a lawsuit that the company used AI systems and keystroke monitoring to target workers on medical or parental leave for mass layoffs.
- Meta Employees Allege Discriminatory AI-driven Layoffs
Meta Employees Allege Discriminatory AI-driven Layoffs Barron's
- Lawsuit accuses Meta of using AI to target workers for layoffs who took medical and maternity leave
Lawsuit accuses Meta of using AI to target workers for layoffs who took medical and maternity leave The Mercury News
- 26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave
26 Meta employees sue, alleging AI-driven layoff picks hit workers on medical and parental leave Austin American-Statesman
- Meta employees allege discriminatory AI-driven layoffs
Twenty-six Meta employees have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using artificial intelligence to select workers for mass layoffs, a claim strongly denied by the trillion-dollar company.
- Inside Anthropic's State-by-State Plan to Ratchet up AI Rules
Inside Anthropic's State-by-State Plan to Ratchet up AI Rules Business Insider
- What smart people are saying about IBM's AI warning and SaaSpocalypse fears
What smart people are saying about IBM's AI warning and SaaSpocalypse fears Business Insider
- IBM and other old-school tech companies feel the AI pinch
IBM and other old-school tech companies feel the AI pinch marketplace.org
- IBM Misses, IBM’s Mainframe Moat, IBM’s Many AI Problems
IBM announced preliminary results that spooked the software market generally; this is a story, however, specifically about IBM and its mainframe franchise.
- ‘We did not adapt and move quickly enough’: IBM CEO Arvind Krishna laments enterprise spending pivot as company issues profit warning
‘We did not adapt and move quickly enough’: IBM CEO Arvind Krishna laments enterprise spending pivot as company issues profit warning IT Pro
- IBM Stock: What Wall Street Is Watching Next After 25% Tumble
IBM stock ticked slightly lower Wednesday morning, following a brutal selloff on Tuesday. The post IBM Stock: What Wall Street Is Watching Next After 25% Tumble appeared first on Investor's Business Daily .
- UAE's big bet on AI
In Abu Dhabi , the largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, AI is as much a part of daily life as reporting a pothole or making a doctor's appointment or paying a parking ticket — because AI does all that for you. Abu Dhabi, the capital of one of the world's wealthiest and most globalized business hubs, has near-universal adoption of an app that knows when you need to renew your national ID or health insurance or vehicle registration. The app's "AutoGov" feature goes a step further: It handles the paperwork and pays what's owed without being asked. Why it matters: The UAE made a massive bet on AI, spending billions on infrastructure and research, backed by long-term thinking and alignment from top leaders. Before the war with Iran, the bet was paying off massively. "People make money here and bring money here," a UAE resident told Jim VandeHei and me when we visited just before the war. The war rattled the UAE's AI ambitions and stirred fears about visiting, given the constant threat of Iranian attack. UAE leaders tell us they remain all-in on AI: They're willing to work with both the U.S. and China , and see the technology as the key to their future beyond oil. The big picture: Yousef Al Otaiba , the UAE's longtime ambassador to Washington, told me his country "recognized early that data is destiny — and our leaders didn't wait for AI to arrive before preparing for it." The UAE appointed an AI minister (said to be the world's first ) nearly a decade ago, in 2017. Two years later, it opened what's billed as the world's first graduate-level university dedicated to AI, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. The UAE was built on oil. But leaders aggressively diversified into what The New York Times recently called "the ultimate globalized city — a Switzerland on the Persian Gulf." Dubai, the UAE's biggest city, is rollicking, wealthy and Western-friendly. It's one of the world's top business hubs, and is home to the world's tallest building and the world's busiest international airport. That prosperity is being tested by war in the Middle East. But business leaders tell us AI investments from around the world have kept the UAE powerful amid the danger and disruption plaguing the Persian Gulf. On Tuesday night, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is rewarding the UAE for its help with the Iran war by expanding access to coveted AI chips, capping "a yearslong push by the Gulf state to obtain American technology to diversify its economy." Reality check: This is as much opportunism as strategic vision. The UAE has an all-powerful royal family that controls government and business, allowing wholesale societal changes that couldn't be replicated in a democracy. Zoom in: His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Al Askar , director general of TAMM, as the app is called, took me behind the scenes of Abu Dhabi's " AI-native government " in two lengthy interviews. He and the emirate's Department of Government Enablement host a parade of ministers from other governments who dream of replicating TAMM. "If you look at the UAE as a whole, this is rooted in our leadership vision," said Al Askar, a leader in digital strategy and technological innovation. "This has become part of our DNA. ... This is why I believe the UAE can be a haven for any entrepreneur who wants to test and experiment with AI." How it works: TAMM is Arabic for "Consider it done." The app has a "Snap & Report" section where you can take a photo of a streetlight that doesn't work and submit it to the government. "AI will analyze that photo," the director general said. "We'll route it to the concerned entity. And the entity will fix it. And listen to this: The entity doesn't have the right to close your request until you confirm. So you as a customer have the power." If you take a photo of your food, the app will give you a letter grade for healthiness. When I asked what's next, Al Askar said: "We're actually cooking a lot of things. I wish I could share what we're cooking. But we will surprise you." What we're watching: The UAE's national AI strategy vows that by 2031, the country will have a "reputation as an AI destination ... a magnet that attracts the best talents from the globe to conduct their experiments on AI solutions in the UAE." PwC says that by 2030, AI could contribute 11% of the country's GDP, adding $320 billion to the Middle East economy. Go deeper : UAE wants to disrupt the AI superpowers.
- The Hard Part of AI Has Arrived: Why UAE Businesses Must Rethink Readiness, Trust and Resilience Now
The Hard Part of AI Has Arrived: Why UAE Businesses Must Rethink Readiness, Trust and Resilience Now Gulf News
- US grapples with rise of Chinese open-source AI
Palantir’s chief technology officer said the Chinese technology poses an economic threat to the US.
- Washington confronts China’s open-source models
American AI labs view Chinese open-source models as essentially stolen goods, built with the help of American frontier models to generate synthetic training data — a process known as distillation.
- AI is great if you're an electrician
The AI data center boom is creating an unprecedented demand for electricians and skilled trades, pushing wages higher and reshaping career paths
- DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng is world’s richest creator of AI models
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng is world’s richest creator of AI models The Straits Times
- Report: AI struggles to replace nurses, teachers and labourers
Report: AI struggles to replace nurses, teachers and labourers YourStory.com
- 71% of smartphone users now use generative AI: CMR study
71% of smartphone users now use generative AI: CMR study YourStory.com
- Google Images turns 25 with AI image generation and a new look
Google Images turns 25 with AI image generation and a new look YourStory.com