BLUF: The Energy-Security Nexus

Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm. Since its release into the marketplace in 2021, it has changed the way we live, work, and think. 

AI’s economic contributions shouldn’t be ignored. Real GDP saw a 3% growth in the second quarter of 2025, largely due to capital expenditures from large corporations infected with the AI bug. But there is a growing everyday cost that’s harder to ignore: energy. 

Look a short ways down the road, and this situation gets tricky in a hurry. AI requires a lot of resources, including massive amounts of electricity and water. The boom in data centers across the U.S. has caused spikes in power consumption, placing enormous pressure on the nation’s already aging and fragile power grid. 

Consolidating America’s most energy-intensive technologies with millions of households on the same vulnerable infrastructure is not just a technical challenge. It is a national security gamble that increases the risk of cyberattacks, system failures, and large-scale disruptions that adversaries could exploit.

The bottom line? Without deliberate planning and investment, the AI revolution could compromise the stability and security of the systems Americans rely on most.

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