The future of Machine Intelligence will not be built on algorithms and chips alone. It will depend on where we build, how we power, and whether we build the infrastructure responsibly.

We are entering a new technological age. Artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from research labs and specialized applications into nearly every part of our economy and daily lives. We often call this the AI era. But at Department of Technology, we believe a broader term better describes what is unfolding: the MI era—the Machine Intelligence era.

This is more than a change in terminology. It reflects the scale of the transformation underway. Intelligent machines, increasingly capable computing systems, and the networks connecting them are becoming foundational infrastructure for business, science, education, national security, healthcare, and public services.

But there is a critical reality that can get lost in the excitement over new models, faster chips, and extraordinary software: Machine Intelligence requires physical infrastructure.

It requires data centers—large, sophisticated facilities filled with computing equipment that must operate continuously. Those facilities require enormous amounts of electricity, dependable transmission lines, cooling systems, water or other cooling resources, communications networks, skilled workers, secure sites, and communities willing to host them.

Building this infrastructure will be one of the defining challenges of the MI era.

That is why we are launching a dedicated Data Centers series.

The questions America and the world must answer

We intend to examine the data center challenge through the essential questions that should guide every major infrastructure decision:

• Who is building these facilities, financing them, operating them, regulating them, and benefiting from them? Who is responsible when costs or consequences fall on local communities?
• What should a modern data center include—not only in computing capacity, but in power systems, cooling, cybersecurity, physical security, resilience, and environmental performance?
• When should facilities be built, and how should construction be coordinated with the availability of electricity, transmission capacity, equipment, workers, and other essential resources?
• Where should data centers be located? Proximity to users and fiber networks matters, but so do available power, transmission access, land, water, climate, permitting, and the needs of surrounding communities.
• Why are these facilities necessary, what public and economic value can they create, and how do we distinguish essential infrastructure investment from projects that shift costs and risks onto others?
• How can we build, connect, operate, and expand data centers reliably, affordably, securely, and responsibly?

These questions are connected. A site that looks attractive because land is available may not have sufficient electrical capacity. A region with abundant generation may lack the transmission infrastructure to deliver power where it is needed. A project that makes sense on paper may encounter public opposition if residents are not given clear information about electricity costs, water use, construction impacts, and long-term commitments.

There is no single answer that works everywhere. The right approach will depend on local conditions, technology, energy resources, infrastructure, and community priorities.

The electric grid is part of the AI story

One of the central themes of this series will be the relationship between data centers and the electrical grid.

The MI era cannot advance at the speed of software if the infrastructure supplying its electricity cannot keep pace. Generation capacity, transmission lines, substations, interconnection processes, energy storage, backup systems, and grid reliability all matter.

We must look beyond whether enough electricity exists in the abstract. We must ask whether it can be delivered to the right location, at the right time, at a predictable cost, and with the reliability that modern computing demands.

We must also examine how new demand affects existing customers. Data center development should not automatically mean higher electricity bills, strained local infrastructure, or reduced reliability for households and established businesses. The costs and benefits must be understood, disclosed, and fairly allocated.

Building with communities, not simply in them

Technology leadership cannot be measured only by the number of facilities announced, the amount of capital invested, or the computing capacity installed.

It must also be measured by whether projects are responsibly planned, whether communities have meaningful information and a voice in decisions, whether infrastructure costs are fairly assigned, and whether the benefits extend beyond the companies operating the facilities.

Public trust is not an afterthought. It is part of the infrastructure.

That means transparency about power requirements, water and cooling strategies, environmental impacts, tax arrangements, utility investments, and emergency planning. It means recognizing that communities are not merely locations on a map. They are partners whose long-term interests deserve consideration.

A practical guide to the infrastructure of the MI era

In this series, we will explore the data center ecosystem from the ground up: site selection, electricity generation, transmission and distribution, grid connections, cooling, water, energy storage, renewable and other energy sources, reliability, cybersecurity, construction, financing, regulation, workforce development, and the relationship between technology companies and the communities that host their facilities.

We will look at the roles of federal, state, and local governments, utilities, developers, technology companies, investors, engineers, regulators, and residents. We will examine emerging solutions as well as the obstacles that could slow development or undermine public confidence.

Our goal is not to advocate for building every proposed data center, nor to oppose development simply because it is large or energy-intensive. Our goal is to help readers understand what responsible development requires—and what questions should be asked before decisions are made.

America’s ability to lead in Machine Intelligence will depend on more than inventing the next generation of chips and software. It will depend on whether we can build the power systems, networks, facilities, policies, and public partnerships that allow those technologies to operate at scale.

The MI era needs more than computing power. It needs a plan for the infrastructure that makes computing power possible.

That is what this series is about.