The TopCat AI Signal Report #91

The physical infrastructure buildout is enormous.

One PwC-based outlook projects that global investment in AI infrastructure could reach $31.6 trillion by 2050, with annual data-center capital expenditure rising from about $800 billion in 2026 to $1.8 trillion by 2050. It identifies affordable, reliable, low-carbon electricity as the hardest requirement for many markets.[tedmag]

The International Energy Agency projects that global electricity use from data centers could more than double between 2024 and 2030—an increase roughly comparable to Japan’s current electricity demand.[calmatters]

That growth comes with a social question:

Who benefits from the AI buildout?

Communities can support data centers when companies are transparent, bring local benefits, use cleaner energy, and av ...