A Department of War official told Fox News Digital that foreign adversaries are conducting psychological operations to fuel opposition against data centers and artificial intelligence in the U.S. The Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, Emil Michael, warned during an interview at the White House that these efforts aim to hinder America's development of advanced AI technology. He emphasized the importance of data center production as crucial infrastructure for maintaining the U.S.'s lead in the global AI race.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
A top official at the Department of War discussed how artificial intelligence is playing a role in war readiness strategy, and said foreign adversaries are carrying out "psyop" operations to fuel the anti-data center and anti-artificial intelligence movement across the U.S.
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adversaries → discuss → U.S.
During an interview with Fox News Digital in the White House, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael warned that the movement to decrease production for artificial intelligence infrastructure is being pushed by America’s adversaries.
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movement → warn → adversaries
"It is natural from a propaganda standpoint that your adversary, who doesn't want you to be developing super intelligence ahead of them, is going to try to psyop your population into believing that.
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you → want → that
And to some degree, it's worked.
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it → work → degree
And I think that's why you see the president push back and say, ‘no, this is a good thing,’" he said.
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he → think → ?
Data center production has been at the center of debate ahead of the midterm elections, with lawmakers taking near-partisan stances as to whether developments should continue.
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developments → take → stances
Michael referred to data centers as the "electricity that fuels the superintelligence revolution," and explained that continued production of facilities are a crucial part of ensuring the U.S. maintains the lead in the artificial intelligence race.
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U.S. → refer → race
Protests have popped up across the country against data centers and artificial intelligence advancements in general, with some lawmakers raising questions about the role that foreign influence plays in the demonstrations.
"It's the same reason we saw Middle Eastern countries paying for anti-fracking movements," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital in an interview last month.
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Cruz → pop → interview
"Because if they can convince America, 'Don't develop your oil and gas, just buy it from us,' well, that's great for them and terrible for us.
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that → convince → us
If they can convince Americans, 'You don't want data centers here, you want to just rely on the Chinese for AI,' that's great for China, and it's terrible for America."
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it → convince → America
Michael echoed some of Cruz’s concerns about foreign influence, though he did not specifically name China as the culprit.
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he → echo → culprit
Lawmakers have raised questions about hundreds of millions of dollars that American-born communist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham pumped into nonprofits and organizations that are now among the leading organizations fighting data center development throughout the country.
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that → raise → country
Recipients of Singham's largesse include the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition, both self-described pro-China communist groups.
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Recipients → include → Socialism
Last month, activists from both groups carried signs in a Chapel Hill, N.C., protest, merging anti-Trump sentiments with support for communist Cuba and opposition to data centers and AI development, including the message, "SHUT IT DOWN!"
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activists → carry → IT
Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups that operate in the U.S.
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that → sell → U.S.
He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation.
uncertain
He → funnel → investigation
The Party for Socialism and Liberation Boston, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose national chapter regularly partners with and supports the Singham network, posted to social media in July openly opposing data centers, saying the control of AI and data centers is in the hands of billionaires.
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control → partner → billionaires
"Workers are rising up across the country in a growing movement against the tech billionaires – from fights against data centers in hundreds of cities, to labor organizing at the world’s biggest tech corporations," the post read.
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post → rise → corporations
As for how the Department of War utilizes artificial intelligence, Michael told Fox News Digital that usage has skyrocketed since Secretary Pete Hegseth assumed the cabinet role, growing from roughly 70,000 users out of a 3.5 million-person workforce to approximately 1.7 million today.
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Hegseth → utilize → million
He explained that the Department of War is deploying artificial intelligence across three main areas: enterprise operations, warfighting and intelligence.
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Department → explain → areas
"We have incredible vignettes and stories about how people took 200 hours of work and combined it down to two hours," he added.
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he → have → hours
"They can see what we have as assets.
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we → see → assets
They can see what the adversary has as assets – they can time things better, they write quicker, they can consolidate orders quicker."
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they → see → orders
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