March 17, 2025

Building Compute in America

1 hour 15 minutes

Despite leading the world in AI innovation, there’s no guarantee that America will rise to meet the challenge of AI infrastructure. Specifically, the key technological barrier for data center construction within the next 5 years is new power capacity.

To discuss policy solutions, ChinaTalk interviewed Ben Della Rocca, who helped write the AI infrastructure executive order and formerly served as director for technology and national security on Biden’s NSC, as well as Arnab Datta, director at IFP and managing director at Employ America, and Tim Fist, a director at IFP. Arnab and Tim just published a fantastic three-part series exploring the policy changes needed to ensure that AGI is invented in the USA and deployed through American data centers.

In today’s interview, we discuss…

The need for new power generation driven by ballooning demand for compute,

The impact of the January 2025 executive order on AI infrastructure,

Which energy technologies can (and can’t) power gigawatt-scale AI training facilities (and why Jordan is all-in on GEOTHERMAL),

Challenges for financing moonshot green power ideas and the role of government action,

The failure of the market to prioritize AI lab security, and what can be done to fend off threats from adversaries and non-state actors.

Outtro music: Ghost Crew - 蝴蝶武士 (Butterfly Warriors) (Youtube link)

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