Democratic victories in Washington raise questions about the future of artificial intelligence, data centre expansion and the billions being invested in the technology boom.

By The Current News Desk | November 5, 2026

The artificial intelligence boom that has helped drive global stock markets to extraordinary heights is facing a new and unexpected challenge: American politics.

Following Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, technology stocks have come under renewed selling pressure as investors reassess the future of an industry that has attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in investment.

The Democrats’ sweeping victory, which delivered control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, has introduced a new political reality for President Donald Trump and the technology companies that have benefited from expectations of a business-friendly regulatory environment.

The question facing investors is no longer simply whether artificial intelligence will transform the global economy.

It is whether political opposition, regulatory intervention and growing public resistance could slow the industry’s expansion before investors see the financial returns they have been promised.

Wall Street Reacts to a Political Shift

The market’s reaction has been anything but uniform.

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 1,500 points, while the S&P 500 gained 1.6%, as investors welcomed the prospect of divided government and potentially fewer sweeping policy changes.

But beneath those headline gains, companies involved in building the infrastructure required to power artificial intelligence suffered significant losses.

Shares of data centre operators, semiconductor companies and technology infrastructure providers came under pressure.

The selloff extended into Asian markets Thursday, with South Korea’s Kospi dropping 5.3% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 losing nearly 2%.

Major technology companies, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and SoftBank Group, were among those affected.

The contrast reveals an important distinction: investors may be comfortable with the broader political outcome while simultaneously questioning the future profitability of the AI expansion.

Did the Midterms Change the AI Investment Story?

There is growing evidence that the election results have become a significant factor in the technology selloff.

Democratic candidates in several states campaigned on stronger oversight of artificial intelligence, restrictions on data centre construction and greater accountability for the electricity and water consumed by these facilities.

Those concerns are no longer theoretical.

The election results have strengthened politicians who favour slowing or restricting certain developments, particularly in communities where residents are concerned about rising electricity costs and infrastructure demands.

For investors, that creates a potentially serious problem.

Artificial intelligence companies depend on an enormous expansion of computing capacity. That requires new data centres, electrical infrastructure, advanced semiconductors and substantial amounts of capital.

If governments delay construction approvals, impose new operating requirements or restrict access to energy infrastructure, the financial assumptions behind some of these investments could change dramatically.

UBS analysts have estimated that approximately 30% of expected U.S. data centre capacity additions in 2028 could be exposed to potential construction pauses.

That does not mean those projects will be cancelled. But it introduces uncertainty into an industry whose valuations depend heavily on rapid expansion.

Importantly, Congress does not directly control every data centre approval. State governments, municipalities, utilities and local permitting authorities will continue to play a central role.

Nevertheless, a Democratic-controlled Congress could increase scrutiny through hearings, investigations and negotiations over federal policy.

The Bigger Problem: Has AI Become Too Expensive?

Politics may have accelerated the selloff, but it is not the only explanation.

For months, investors have questioned whether the enormous capital expenditures being committed to artificial intelligence can generate sufficient returns.

Technology companies are spending heavily on computing infrastructure, specialized processors, electricity and facilities.

Yet the commercial returns from many AI applications remain uncertain.

This creates a difficult equation.

If infrastructure spending continues accelerating while revenue growth fails to meet expectations, investors may begin questioning valuations that assume years of extraordinary profitability.

Political restrictions would only compound that challenge.

There is also a distinction between the largest technology companies, which have substantial cash reserves, and smaller infrastructure operators that rely more heavily on borrowing and outside investment.

A slowdown in construction could affect those businesses very differently.

The election may therefore be exposing financial vulnerabilities that already existed beneath the enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence.

Oil, Interest Rates and the Trump Factor

The political shift is also influencing markets beyond technology.

Oil prices fell sharply Wednesday as investors considered whether a Democratic-controlled Congress could increase pressure on the Trump administration to reduce American involvement in the conflict with Iran.

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, dropped substantially before recovering some ground Thursday.

Defence contractors also faced selling pressure amid speculation that future military spending could encounter greater congressional resistance.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury yields stabilized after earlier declines, reflecting a market attempting to determine how the election will influence government spending, inflation and future interest-rate decisions.

For President Trump, the midterm results represent a significant change in the political environment.

The administration will face a Congress more willing to investigate executive decisions, challenge spending priorities and scrutinize relationships between government and major corporations.

Companies closely associated with Trump and prominent Republican supporters, including Elon Musk, may face additional political attention.

However, increased scrutiny does not automatically translate into new legislation or restrictions. The White House retains significant powers, and congressional Democrats will still face legislative and political constraints.

What Does This Mean for Canada?

For Canadian investors and businesses, the implications extend well beyond movements on Wall Street.

Canada has positioned itself as an attractive destination for artificial intelligence investment, supported by relatively abundant energy resources, a growing technology sector and established research capabilities.

If American data centre development encounters greater regulatory obstacles, some international investors could consider Canadian alternatives.

That could create opportunities for British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and other provinces seeking investment in computing infrastructure and energy development.

But Canada would also face challenges.

Large-scale AI infrastructure requires reliable electricity, transmission capacity, suitable industrial land and predictable approval processes.

British Columbia, in particular, must consider how growing electricity demand from data centres would interact with existing industrial needs, housing growth and energy development.

There is also a financial risk.

Canadian pension funds, institutional investors and individual shareholders have substantial exposure to American technology markets.

A prolonged correction in AI valuations could affect Canadian investment portfolios, even if the underlying technology continues advancing.

A Warning for the Technology Industry

The message emerging from the U.S. midterms may be larger than a temporary stock market correction.

For years, the artificial intelligence industry has operated on the assumption that technological advancement and investment would move faster than political intervention.

That assumption is now being challenged.

Voters are increasingly asking who benefits from massive technology developments, who pays for the required infrastructure and whether local communities should have greater control over expansion.

Those questions are becoming political issues rather than simply economic considerations.

For investors, the implications are clear.

The future of artificial intelligence will depend not only on technological breakthroughs but also on energy availability, public acceptance, regulatory certainty and the ability to deliver measurable financial returns.

The November midterm elections did not create all the concerns surrounding the AI investment boom.

But they may have brought those concerns into sharper focus.

The technology revolution is not necessarily slowing down. The political and financial conditions supporting its expansion, however, may be changing much faster than investors anticipated.

And that is something markets around the world can no longer afford to ignore.

Court Proceeding Continues Despite Defendant’s MAID Application

Court of King’s Bench Justice Maya Hamou declined to postpone the sentencing hearing for Roger Hilyard Crossman on Monday, ruling that his application for medical assistance in dying (MAID) would not halt legal proceedings. Hamou stated that Crossman did not have the option to opt out of his sentencing hearing, ordering that it move forward either via video link or in his absence.

Details of the Offense and Court Appearance

Crossman, 65, pleaded guilty earlier this fall to second-degree murder and improperly or indecently interfering with a body in connection with the Oct. 12, 2023 death of his wife, Marlene Cheryl Crossman, 59, at their Sackville home. A prosecutor noted during the guilty plea that Marlene Crossman died from three sharp force injuries to her chest and abdomen after 7 a.m. at their King Street home.

During Monday’s hearing in Moncton, Crossman participated remotely from a hospital bed, appearing shirtless on video screens in the courtroom. He had been hospitalized since Oct. 24. Defense lawyer Martin Siscoe stood beside his client in the hospital, informing the court that Crossman has a terminal cancer diagnosis, could have only weeks to live, and has applied for MAID.

Sentencing Arguments and Victim Impact

Prosecutor Martine Cormier stated that Crossman’s actions involved “egregious and sadistic brutality” and highlighted his “coercive control” over his wife during their nearly 37-year marriage. The Crown requested parole eligibility near the maximum allowable limit under the law. Second-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life imprisonment, with parole eligibility set between 10 and 25 years.

Siscoe offered no counter-arguments regarding parole eligibility, explaining that his client instructed him not to waste the court’s time and wished to conclude the matter for everyone involved given his health. More than a dozen family members of the victim were present in the gallery, and 10 victim impact statements were submitted to the judge prior to her scheduled afternoon decision.

Medical Appointments and Meetings Subject to One-Hour Shifts

Patients under the Vancouver Coastal and Island health authorities are being asked to re-verify scheduled appointment times, as events may have moved by an hour. The warning follows British Columbia’s decision to shift permanently to Pacific Time while the rest of North America turns back clocks this Sunday. Educational institutions, including the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, similarly warned that staff meetings set on or after Sunday might display incorrect times if they were created prior to calendar system updates.

Manual Updates Needed Despite Major Software Patches

While tech giants like Microsoft and Google adjusted software for B.C.’s new time zone, older entries in calendar applications like Teams and Outlook may require manual corrections. Google noted that calendar entries generated in specific time zones could show up one hour late starting Sunday, advising users to ensure software updates are enabled on devices like Android phones and smartwatches. Furthermore, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority updated its time zone database to cover permanent daylight time across B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories.

Retired Microsoft executive M3 Sweatt noted that travelers and regional operations face practical hurdles, especially across the Washington state border. They’ll need to account for the time differences when doing something as simple as moving across the border, scheduling a meeting over the phone, more planning day-to-day items on their calendar, he explained. He pointed out that cross-border train journeys of four hours would reflect as three hours going south, but five hours heading north.

Legacy Systems Face Infrastructure and Access Glitches

Tech professionals warn that the disruption extends beyond personal digital calendars. Darren Coleman, CEO of B.C.-based Coleman Technologies, indicated that scheduling tools hard-code the time zone active at the moment an invite is generated. I think it’s a much bigger issue than most people recognize, Coleman stated, adding that non-updatable infrastructure could stall daily operations. Your employees may not be able to get into your office building if the clocks don’t update. The security cameras may be off. They may be missing meetings, he noted, pointing to older security cameras, point-of-sale systems, and building door access setups.

Local IT service providers emphasize that legacy software remains vulnerable. Luke Bell, reactive service manager at Victoria-based Smart Dolphins, described the preparation process as chaotic. Some businesses have really old services or software that they use and they don’t have the means to update to new time zones, Bell said. So there will be some friction potentially. We won’t know until the change happens.