War Department official warns of foreign propaganda campaign against US AI infrastructure

A Department of War official has claimed that foreign adversaries are conducting psychological operations to discourage American development of artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure ahead of midterm elections. The official argued that foreign powers seeking to prevent the U.S. from advancing in superintelligence are using propaganda to turn the public against these technologies. Data centers and AI development have become focal points in policy debates, with officials contending they are essential to maintaining American technological superiority.

The Department of War has identified what officials characterize as a coordinated foreign influence operation targeting American public opinion on artificial intelligence and data center expansion. The timing of these alleged efforts coincides with the 2026 midterm elections, a period when technology policy debates have become increasingly partisan. Pentagon data shows significant growth in AI deployment within defense operations, with military AI users expanding from 70,000 to approximately 1.7 million personnel.

Investigations have focused on funding flows to anti-data center advocacy groups, with lawmakers examining financial contributions from technology sector figures to organizations opposing infrastructure development. These funding sources are being scrutinized as part of broader assessments of foreign influence mechanisms in domestic policy debates.