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Silicon, steel and megawatts: Can America create the infrastructure needed to win the AI race?
By Michael Intrator
Published May 12, 2025
Last week’s Senate hearing on U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence made it clear that we are not just in an AI race with China and the rest of the world. We are in a race to build the foundation of the 21st century global economy while strengthening our national security.
That foundation is made of silicon, steel and megawatts. America’s ability to lead in AI hinges on a simple but urgent question – can we build the computing infrastructure fast enough to unleash AI’s full potential and drive a competitive advantage?
The emerging AI cloud computing infrastructure is not like the general-purpose cloud that still powers most of the digital world. The new world of AI demands a complete reimagining of digital infrastructure. AI workloads involve trillions of simultaneous calculations, demanding unprecedented computing power, advanced cooling systems, cutting-edge chip technology, ultra-high-speed networking and accelerated storage. Today’s general purpose clouds weren’t designed for this. We cannot run the 21st century economy with 20th century infrastructure.
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China is aggressively investing in AI infrastructure as a matter of national strategy, recognizing that technological dominance will enable it to compete with the U.S. for influence around the world. If we want to keep America in the lead, we must act with the same urgency, and build here.
At CoreWeave, we operate over 250,000 GPUs in more than 30 data centers, powering the next generation of AI models. But infrastructure at this scale doesn’t appear overnight. Because of the massive capital investments required to build this specialized cloud platform and the entire AI ecosystem, long-term strategic planning and policies are needed to ensure the U.S. maintains its preeminent position and wins the future. These policies include a transparent regulatory process across all jurisdictions, expediting the development of abundant and affordable power, ensuring access to global markets and partnerships to develop the skilled and trained domestic workforce required to meet the growing AI demand while creating good-paying jobs for the future. Without these, the U.S. risks losing its current edge in AI to nations moving faster and with more clarity of purpose.
Our private sector is moving rapidly to meet the challenge. But we do not do this in a vacuum. Public policies must keep up to create the necessary enabling environment for success.
Overly burdensome and fragmented regulation across all jurisdictions create uncertainty that can chill investment. Careful reforms to the energy permitting process can bring the electrons online needed to bring more intelligence to the world. Similarly, we understand the critical importance of crafting export controls to protect national security. We believe that policies can be developed which accomplish this while enabling U.S. firms the ability to compete for the relentless demand for AI in global markets. If we want to shape the future of AI, we must ensure it is developed here on American soil.
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And it means creating the public-private partnerships to train and create the workforce that is required – we need more plumbers, electricians and engineers. Earlier this year, CoreWeave joined Princeton University, Microsoft and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to launch the New Jersey AI Hub – a model for how academia, industry and government can work together to build the future. We need ten more just like it.
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Business and all of the U.S. can benefit from accessing the vast scientific and technological resources of our national laboratory system. These labs have played an enormous role in contributing to the computing resources and energy technologies that have enabled our AI infrastructure. Let’s use this genius that is sometimes taken for granted. More basic and fundamental science, and increased research and development are investments that pay off for all of us. There is a $20 trillion opportunity on the table by 2030, according to IDC. The nation that builds the infrastructure for AI will reap the benefits in economic growth and enhanced national security, while creating fundamental breakthroughs in areas such as healthcare and education. But that future is not guaranteed. It will go to the country that moves fastest, builds the boldest and works together.
While the U.S. has a head start, this is a generational moment. Maintaining that lead over our competitors requires treating AI infrastructure like the strategic asset it is – by prioritizing jobs and investment right here at home. This is not just a tech issue. It’s an American issue.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/silicon-steel-megawatts-can-america-create-infrastructure-needed-win-ai-race