Data Centers and the Future of AI Infrastructure: Federal, Local, and Industry Perspectives

As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly compute-intensive, data centers are emerging as critical strategic infrastructure underpinning U.S. economic competitiveness, technological leadership, and national security. The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is driving new debates around energy demand, permitting and zoning, supply chain resilience, cybersecurity, and the role of federal and local governments in enabling long-term growth.

Please join the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program for a discussion on the future of data centers and AI infrastructure in the United States. The event will feature two panels bringing together federal and local government officials alongside industry leaders to examine the policy, economic, and security implications of large-scale data center expansion.

The conversation will explore how the United States can scale the infrastructure required for advanced AI systems while ensuring resilience, trusted operations, and long-term strategic advantage. Discussions will address topics including energy and grid constraints, community and economic impacts, AI security, public-private coordination, and the broader geopolitical competition to build and secure next-generation compute infrastructure.

This event is made possible through generous funding from Amazon.