Below is a transcript of the conversation, which has been slightly edited for clarity.
Lucia Starbuck: During the last legislative session, one of the big bills you tried to pass was to protect kids on social media from adult content and predatory algorithms. This summer, a federal judge ruled the First Amendment protects child sexual abuse material created by AI as long as it doesn't depict a real child. Following this ruling, how can the government protect children online?
Aaron Ford: That's a scary ruling, and in fact, we did pass a law to make unlawful the distribution of AI-created CSAM. It is a real concern. We're going to have to see the best ways to comport our laws with the Constitution. We do think that it's an important issue to address, and it's something that we will continue trying to move forward on.
Starbuck: Does that ruling trump the state law?
Ford: It does not at this point because it was a judge from a different jurisdiction. But the argument that they've made is a similar argument that we heard here, and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if that same argument was made against our particular law. But make no mistake about it: it's a very real issue, and it's a very real concern. And the testimony that we gave on the record reveals that those who utilize these forms of AI-created child sexual abuse material oftentimes go on to abuse real children. While we can't criminalize future action, we do want to limit the ability for that moving forward.
Starbuck: What other AI guardrails would you like to see?
Ford: The conversations around AI and data centers, while related, are also distinct. I think we need a larger, more robust conversation around AI in general before we can actually delve into what some of the specifics would be. But it may very well be age restrictions, it could be content restrictions, it could be parental controls for children. The same types of safeguards that I put in place, or tried to put in place, with the legislation that we passed, but also that I ultimately was able to secure via settlements with Meta, Facebook, Instagram, and Roblox.
Starbuck: How do you use AI in your daily life?
Ford: I think we don't always know how we're using AI in our daily lives. I'm a lawyer, and as the Attorney General, I turn on my computer every single day, and sometimes I have to do research on Westlaw or Lexis, and I think they utilize AI. You turn on your phone. I think it's kind of incorporated into all that we do, and it is not an anti-AI position that we take when we want to discuss better ways to control data centers. Again, separate conversations, integrated at some level, but separate conversations. We understand the [importance], but it also has to be properly guardrailed, so to speak.
Starbuck: Do you think that it can be used for good?
Ford: Absolutely, and I think it's being used for good in several instances. I think from your conversation last week, one of your speakers talked about people looking for cures for cancer using AI. We have to advocate that, but we have to do so in a way that is responsible, that protects the public, that also preserves jobs, or at least helps us to transition into new jobs that may very well be displaced by AI.
Starbuck: What do you think about those who share the stance with Trump that we should beat other countries and be the first in having these technological advances? What do you say to voters who say ‘full steam ahead?’
Ford: I think reasonable minds can disagree. I tend to disagree with the president on this. At the end of the day, local communities should not be forced to have data centers in their backyards if they don't want them. This isn't a NIMBY thing for me. I live near data centers, so it's not a problem for me, but it's also a personal choice, and it's an issue that I think local say is going to be paramount.
Starbuck: You live near a data center yourself?
Ford: I do, several actually.
Starbuck: Are you affected by noise, construction, or do you have any concerns personally where you live?
Ford: I have not recognized or heard. I've lived there for 13 years, and no, so I'm not bothered by my proximity to the data centers.
Starbuck: Gov. Lombardo released his executive order. It seems like you have some common ground about not raising energy bills for everyday people, water standards. What do you make of his proposal, and do you feel that there are similarities?
Ford: Well, it's weak, and entirely ineffective, and deficient. It doesn't change his stance, which is that he quote-unquote wholeheartedly supports data centers, that he thinks they are a gold rush for our state, when in fact the only gold rushing is from data center interests and their money to his campaign coffers. The fact is, he's given out $240 million of tax breaks to data centers. His plan is woefully insufficient in terms of responding to the abatement issue that most folks want to address. He has failed in his job of even enforcing the current law as it relates to auditing data centers. I'm not surprised he doesn't show up and come talk to you here. He's been ducking everybody anyway because he wouldn't be able to describe that plan to you. It's not his plan. It is a simply a copy-and-paste for all intents and purposes of a Trump pollster who's given suggestions to Republican officials on what to say.
Starbuck: How is yours different, especially when it comes to tax abatements? And one piece of his [is to limit] some of the sales and use taxes, and no tax breaks where it would go to the local school support taxes. How are your plans different?
Ford: I'm going to stop all tax abatements going forward on data centers.
Starbuck: No new tax abatements for data centers?
Ford: While I am auditing the tax abatements that have already been given now to ensure that these data centers have actually fulfilled their end of the bargain. Number two, I've already talked about the fact that we're going to require any new data center that ever were to come here to build out the grid to accommodate its need to ensure that we are not going to raise Nevadan's energy bill by one cent. They're going to have to utilize green energy to power their facility. They're going to have to utilize something besides water in order to cool their facilities. One of the most important components is that the public input happens before, and if they don't want it, it's not going to be. It shouldn't be forced on them.
Starbuck: What happens if, after the audit, you found that they have not been following these things you put in place? Would you take back their tax breaks?
Ford: We're going to utilize every legal avenue that we have, whether it's utilizing the law, whether it's utilizing the abatements, the agreements themselves, or otherwise. But there will be consequences for those entities that have not fulfilled their end of the bargain, whether it's the local hire, whether it's ensuring that other components of the requirements have been met, we're going to hold them accountable.
Starbuck: Did you expect this to be such a big issue this election? And which communities are you most concerned for?
Ford: No, I did not expect this to be such a big issue this cycle. The first time I remember hearing about this, I think I was in Minden in the fall of last year, where an individual spoke up about a contemplated data center in Yerington, and they didn't want to hear it. They didn't want to have it. And I thought to myself, "This is new. Let me let me talk more to people around the state to figure out what their concerns are." You've asked me once before why it took me a while to roll my plan, and it's because I actually do due diligence to ensure that I have information, and so I started talking to folks all across the state, and no matter where I am, I could be in rural, urban, or suburban Nevada, people are talking about this. Boulder City doesn't want it, and the runaround that Joe Lombardo was complicit in facilitating to the public lands. Pahrump concerns me, they don't want their watershed touched on. The tribes have spoken up, and we need to be listening to all of them. And the development and the incentives that we've used from 2015 need to change based on what we've seen over the last 11 years, and so that includes community benefits agreements and the contents of those.
Democrat Aaron Ford is challenging Republican incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo in the 2026 election. His campaign spokesperson did not respond to KUNR’s invitation for an interview. KUNR has sent a request to the governor's office for an interview for more details about the executive order.
You can hear more about Ford's data center agenda on Purple Politics Nevada here.
