Most Americans don’t think much about digital infrastructure because, for the most part, it is always there. We carry supercomputers in our pockets and expect instant access to our bank accounts, medical records, airline schedules, businesses, families and virtually any piece of information we need. We have become so accustomed to that availability that it is easy to forget there is an enormous physical infrastructure behind it.
Both of us learned the value of information long before we entered the critical infrastructure industry. Kirk learned it beneath the ocean aboard U.S. Navy nuclear submarines, while Mike experienced it years later on the battlefields of the Global War on Terror with special operations forces. The missions and eras were different, but the lesson was the same: Having the right information at the right time can save lives. Knowing where your people are, understanding what is happening around you and acting on reliable information faster than an adversary can determine the outcome of a mission.
That lesson applies to the challenge America faces today. The race for artificial intelligence isn’t simply about who develops the best software or algorithm. It is also about who can build the power generation, transmission, data centers and workforce required to run it. If we fail at that part of the equation, it won’t matter how innovative we are.
8 EVERYDAY THINGS THAT WOULD QUIT WORKING WITHOUT DATA CENTERS
For generations, one of America’s greatest strengths was our ability to turn innovation into physical capability. We built interstate highways, ports, power plants, factories and telecommunications networks that fueled economic growth while strengthening our national security.
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We are at another such moment, except we aren’t moving fast enough. Permitting delays, grid bottlenecks and supply-chain constraints are slowing new generation and transmission at precisely the moment AI and advanced computing are creating enormous new demand for electricity.
China understands this. It is aggressively expanding power generation, transmission, manufacturing and computing capacity because technological leadership ultimately requires physical capacity. While Washington debates how AI should be governed, our competitors are making sure they have the infrastructure to deploy it.
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That is why the way we talk about data centers also needs to change. They aren’t simply large commercial buildings filled with servers. They are part of what we call the Fifth Utility, the interconnected compute, power, fiber and digital infrastructure that supports banking, healthcare, transportation, commerce, emergency communications, national intelligence and defense.
None of that means communities should accept development without asking tough questions. Residents deserve to know how projects will affect power, water, land, electricity rates and local infrastructure. Developers have an obligati
