U.S. Agencies Reportedly Apply ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ Label to Anti-AI and Data Center Opposition

Internal U.S. government documents obtained by WIRED indicate that federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies are beginning to categorize some anti-data center movements and opposition to artificial intelligence under the term “anti-technology extremism.”

The documents cited in the reports include warnings from entities such as the New York Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau that AI adoption could trigger unrest and potentially lead to “anti-tech violent extremist activity” within five years.

The classification is not found in publicly available domestic extremism guides from the Department of Homeland Security or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the reported documents. That gap has raised concerns about the potential surveillance or criminalization of dissent connected to AI deployment and data center expansion.

The reports are part of developing May 28 coverage, including late May 27 material tied to issues affecting the current news cycle.