Social media platform X has flagged a graphic posted by U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton to outline his campaign’s plan to regulate data centers, saying the image is likely the product of artificial intelligence.
On Monday, Paxton — Texas’ Republican attorney general — released a vague four-point plan to tackle Texans’ concerns about the rise of data centers, or large facilities full of computing equipment that provide the physical foundation for AI applications and processes.
The irony wasn’t lost on Paxton’s Democratic rival in the Senate race, State Rep. James Talarico, who was quick to use the X tag to draw attention to Paxton’s ties to big tech.
“His ties to big data center companies will lose him the election, so he’s making a sad attempt to reverse course by releasing a plan he literally used AI to make,” Talarico said in a statement. “Texans can’t afford a senator who’s bought by big data center companies. Texans can’t afford Ken Paxton’s corruption.”
Under his newly shared plan, Paxton promised to author legislation prohibiting the use of Chinese tech in American data centers and to protect children by holding data centers criminally liable if they empower AI chatbots to undermine children’s safety. He also promised to co-sponsor the DATA Act, federal legislation created to ensure data centers don’t raise electricity prices.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that the United States will beat the Chinese Communist Party in the AI race,” Paxton said in a statement. “This plan will ensure that happens while putting Texas first, protecting our culture and land, and safeguarding our families and communities. My plan will also work to ensure that data centers are not utilized to power AI platforms that endanger our children.”
There’s just one problem: It appears as though Paxton’s campaign may have used help from a data center to formulate the plan — or at least the graphic explaining it.
On the graphic Paxton sent out via his official X account, the platform included a special tag alerting users that the graphic was created using AI.
X’s “Made with AI” label lets users manually flag content and media made with artificial intelligence. The social media site, owned by Texas billionaire Elon Musk, also has a feature that automatically flags posts for AI-generated content based on embedded metadata.
Wired reported last week that Musk plans to spend around $200 million propping up Paxton’s Senate campaign as it’s fallen behind Talarico’s in both the polls and fundraising. Last week, the well-regarded elections analysis firm the Cook Political Report, rated the race between Paxton and Talarico a “toss-up.”
At the same time, data centers have emerged as a flashpoint in Texas politics as residents on both sides of the aisle raise concerns about their environmental impact and the vast amounts of municipal electricity and water they consume.
Operators of the facilities have been attracted to the Lone Star State for its cheap land, lax regulatory environment and pro-business tax incentives — including sales tax exemptions Paxton voted for as a Texas House member in 2013.
As part of his plan, Paxton is now pledging to reverse those same tax exemptions.
Paxton isn’t the only Republican officeholder who’s been forced to amend his position on data centers as public outrage gains momentum.
Gov. Greg Abbott last month temporarily halted roughly 1,800 proposed data center projects amid criticism about the strain they place on the state’s energy grid. However, critics argue the governor’s executive order is so riddled with loopholes as to be meaningless.
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