MI-07’s William Lawrence Releases STOP: Plan to Pause AI Development, Create Mass Jobs Program for Workers at Risk of Displacement
As data centers threaten local communities and AI experts sound the alarm on advanced models, Lawrence releases two-step plan to slam the breaks and protect Michiganders
*** Read the plan here ***
LANSING, Mich — Today, William Lawrence, Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Michigan’s 7th district, released a comprehensive plan to immediately stop the unregulated development of AI data centers and advanced artificial intelligence.
Lawrence’s plan features three core pillars to protect everyday residents: pausing data center construction and advanced AI development and passing a national AI compact that creates a New Deal-style job program for workers impacted by AI job loss.
“All across this district, everyday Michiganders are standing up and fighting back against the Big Tech companies trying to bulldoze their communities,” said Lawrence. “These companies are trying to force their way into our towns to build a mass unemployment machine that no one wants and that AI experts worry could wipe out all of humanity. I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my neighbors and fight for Mid-Michigan.”
STOP (Stop Tech Overreach Plan) calls for an immediate moratorium on data center construction as projects threaten Michigan’s air, water, and quality of life. While Big Tech companies tout economic development, a Bloomberg study found “areas with high concentrations of data centers saw electricity prices jump 267 percent over the past five years.” The rich get richer while Michigan pays the price.
This common-sense step is only the start of a multi-pronged approach to the proliferation of artificial intelligence. AI experts from around the world have repeatedly warned about the dire consequences of rogue AI agents. Some estimate the risk of human extinction is 10%. Yet tech companies are locked in an endless arms race to find the next frontier of AI research. Lawrence’s plan calls for an immediate moratorium on the development of advanced AI models to prevent these unacceptable risks.
Step two calls for a compact to ensure the responsible integration of AI agents and technology into our society. This includes using an AI profits tax to fund a national jobs program addressing the inevitable disruption to the labor market.
The plan also calls for a law ensuring only humans should make decisions on dropping a bomb, criminal sentencing, denying medical claims, and hiring and firing. It also argues that in the event data centers are to be built, they need to be done with union labor. Doing so not only ensures good wages and benefits and safety for workers, but it also makes sure that the people doing these jobs have the training and conditions to do the job according to safety and environmental specifications.
Lawrence was an early voice of data center opposition, and has stood with locals every step of the way, bringing the issue to the forefront of his campaign. He has criticized the “data center developer playbook” used in Saline, Michigan and was one of the first candidates to call for a federal moratorium on data centers.
Lawrence first stood with residents on data center opposition at an October 2025 meeting in Howell, MI. He has since attended several meetings and delivered public comments in Lyon Township, Mason, Williamstown Township, and Lansing.
In stark contrast, Tom Barrett has rolled out the red carpet for tech companies and AI development. In 2025, he voted to block state and local governments’ ability to protect residents from AI data centers and systems. Twice, he voted for giving massive tax breaks to AI hyperscale developers, and he supported weakened environmental laws to speed up data center construction.
During the democratic primary, Lawrence’s debut television ad focused on Data Centers, a first of its kind, and filmed with a Mason, MI local who lives across the street from a proposed hyperscale data center.
The full plan can be found here: wewill2026.com/ai
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