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When most people think about artificial intelligence, they picture Silicon Valley, not rural Iowa. But AI is already affecting our communities. It is driving interest in large data centers, entering our classrooms, and raising questions about how our water, electricity, and personal information will be protected.
As a lifelong Tama County farmer, former educator, and candidate for Iowa House District 53, I believe rural Iowans deserve a voice in these decisions.
I am not opposed to technology or economic development. I am opposed to making decisions before we understand the consequences.
Data centers are a good example. These facilities can require significant amounts of electricity and water, depending on how they are designed and operated. Developers may emphasize jobs and economic benefits, but communities also need reliable information about infrastructure costs, environmental impacts, and long-term responsibilities.
That is why I support a statewide moratorium on new data center approvals until Iowa establishes clear construction and operating standards. Those standards should include closed-loop cooling systems, dependable power arrangements, and safeguards to prevent unreasonable costs from being passed along to residents.
Once those standards are established, local communities should have a meaningful say in whether a proposed development is appropriate for them.
My interest in this issue led me to organize a public forum in Tama County featuring Doug Sevey, CEO of Enseva Data Center, who has decades of experience building data centers. His technical knowledge helped residents better understand an increasingly complicated issue. People who attended have continued to tell me how valuable that discussion was.
The experience reinforced something I have learned through years of farm advocacy: We need to ask questions, listen carefully, and seek information beyond what those promoting a project choose to provide.
Iowa should conduct independent, factual research into the economic, environmental, health, and infrastructure impacts of data centers. We should not rely solely on developers to tell us what is best for our communities.
Technology policy also belongs in our schools.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to help teachers and students, but it must be introduced responsibly. Teachers need training and support. Parents deserve to know how student information is collected and used. Decisions affecting children’s educational opportunities should never be left entirely to automated systems.
I support clear statewide guidelines for AI use in schools, strong protections for student privacy, and human oversight of important educational decisions.
I am also concerned about the future of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies. Changes to their funding and services have raised questions about how schools, particularly smaller rural districts, will obtain specialized educational and technology support. We should examine those consequences rather than assume every district can provide the same services independently.
Reliable broadband is another essential part of this discussion. Farmers, small businesses, students and healthcare providers need dependable internet access. Rural communities should not be left behind while technology investments expand elsewhere.
Finally, new surveillance technologies require clear safeguards. Automatic license plate readers raise legitimate questions about privacy, data retention, and who can access information about people’s movements. Iowa needs consistent standards that protect both public safety and individual rights.
Throughout my life, I have found that good decisions begin with listening to the people affected. Technology policy should be no different.
Rural Iowa should not be a place where technology simply happens to us. We should help decide what it looks like, what protections are required, and how it serves our communities.
Berleen Wobeter of Toledo is the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 53, representing a district that includes Poweshiek County and most of Tama County.