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Otto von Bismarck once said, “God has a special providence for fools, drunkards, and the United States of America.” For much of our history, the Iron Chancellor was right about the third part. Abundant resources, entrepreneurial spirit and a system that rewards innovation propelled us to global pre-eminence in the 20th century.
We invented the internet age, birthed the world’s most valuable tech giants, and now lead the artificial intelligence revolution.
The artificial intelligence boom promises to be more eventful than the dawn of the internet. It will lead to a higher quality of life for everyone in the first country to achieve AI dominance. AI is already being harnessed for cancer detection and for developing self-driving vehicles that will lower traffic fatalities.
THE NEW ARMS RACE IS FOR COMPUTE — AND AMERICA CAN’T AFFORD TO FALL BEHIND
The AI boom is defining our economy, and we’re now home to trillions of dollars in American AI innovation. America attracts 60% of global AI infrastructure investment and hosts the lion’s share of cutting-edge models that will help solve problems for all Americans.
The growth of artificial intelligence is also the most significant force keeping our economy growing. One Harvard economist found that without data centers, GDP growth would have been just 0.1% in the first half of the year.
As Vanguard’s chief economist recently noted, without this boom, “we would have seen substantially weaker growth numbers.” AI infrastructure already supports more than 600,000 direct jobs — nearly 1.5 times the employment of our 16 automakers combined — and is anticipated to supercharge our economy for decades to come.
But advantage isn’t destiny. If we pause, China will sprint past us and we’ll end up importing, not exporting, the technology of the future. In fact, a new report in The Wall Street Journal highlighted how the AI race against China is as “consequential” as the Cold War because the technology has the “potential to influence large swaths of the global population.”
AMERICA’S SECRET WEAPON TO CRUSH CHINA IN THE GLOBAL AI RACE
This is why we’re both proud to launch the AI Infrastructure Coalition (AIIC) to ensure that America finishes first.
The next five years will see $5 trillion in global AI infrastructure spending, yielding $15.7 trillion in economic value over the following decade. Victory in the AI race means millions of high-paying jobs, reshored manufacturing, and technological exports that secure our prosperity. Defeat means ceding it all to China, which would become the unchallenged economic and military superpower.
China is closing the gap at breakneck speed. It holds nearly 75% of global AI patents and their models achieve 80% to 90% of U.S. capabilities at significantly lower costs. Chinese cloud providers plan 65% capital-expenditure hikes in 2025, backed by subsidies that make energy essentially free for their firms.
RAPID RISE OF AI PUTS NEW URGENCY ON CONGRESS TO UNLEASH AMERICAN ENERGY
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warns bluntly: “China is going to win the AI race” unless we act. If Beijing dominates, it will control autonomous weapons, cyber warfare and global supply chains. American data — from health records to financial details — would flow through Chinese systems, exposing citizens to surveillance, manipulation and breaches.
As President Donald Trump has declared, AI breakthroughs could “reshape the global balance of power.” Former President Joe Biden also agreed: “We will not let America be outbuilt when it comes to the technology that will define the future.” They both understand that there is no scenario where allowing China to export the robots and models that power tomorrow’s world ends well.
Instead of embracing the stakes of this AI race, many politicians and pundits are resorting to fearmongering about AI. Polling now shows that 83% of Chinese citizens see AI as beneficial, while just 39% are optimistic in the U.S.
THE ROAD TO PROSPERITY WILL BE PAVED BY AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING
Unfortunately, as is typical, the prevailing narratives pushed in the press and on social media are often simplistic and inaccurate. We’re told that data centers are the reason many Americans are facing increased utility costs. Maine, with a negligible number of data centers, saw the steepest year-over-year hikes; Virginia, home to the most, did not.
Goldman Sachs recently published an analysis of energy prices across the country and found that electricity price increases were most pronounced in states that retired reliable sources of energy and had onerous regulations. The firm noted that states with the least price inflation had “robust local resource availability (coal/wind/gas)” that “helped keep electricity rates lower with ample supply.”
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Water usage? Minimal and often recycled — less than America’s golf courses. Job loss fears? Recycled doomsaying. Jeremy Rifkin’s 1995 prophecy of internet-induced mass unemployment proved laughably wrong, and so will current dooming. The nature of the AI infrastructure stack, from energy companies to data centers to hyperscalers such as Google and Microsoft, means that the growth of the sector will require the hiring of systems engineers, electricians, facilities managers, and so forth. Google has already announced it will support an effort to train 100,000 new electrical workers.
As President Donald Trump has declared, AI breakthroughs could “reshape the global balance of power.”
But if the United States is going to continue to be the leading AI nation, we need common-sense permitting reform. America needs to build out its energy infrastructure and semiconductor fabrication plants. Yet one in five AI projects dies in permitting hell, imperiling $64 billion in investments. Since early 2024, China added 429 gigawatts to its energy capacity; we managed to add 68 gigawatts.
Likewise, federal policymakers need to address the confusing patchwork of AI laws across the nation with sensible legislation to preempt state laws. We need clear guardrails that protect people while enabling builders to build. The goal is simple: unleash American ingenuity, don’t immobilize it.
America can and must win the AI race. Let’s build the future here, power it with abundant energy, train our people to thrive in it, and ensure that the dividends flow to the American people.
Garret Graves served as a congressman for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District from 2015 to 2025 and is a co-chair of the AI Infrastructure Coalition.
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