Why is there such a rush for AI implementation on such a huge scale and the building of so many data centers throughout the country?

I have my own thoughts about this but since this is an essay about AI data centers, let's ask the Google AI Chatbot (everyone trusts that, right?):

The rapid explosion in data center construction is primarily driven by the massive computing power required to train and run Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Companies like Microsoft and Amazon are investing billions to build massive server farms because modern AI models need thousands of specialized processors working continuously to parse and generate data.

Beyond AI, the build-out is fueled by a few other core factors:

• The Shift to Cloud Computing: Most businesses and consumers no longer store files on in-house servers. Everyday activities—such as streaming ultra-HD video, scrolling social media, cloud gaming, and managing the Internet of Things (IoT)—all require centralized storage and continuous network availability.
• Real-Time Data Needs: To support instant financial trading, autonomous vehicles, and real-time analytics, tech companies are building "edge" data centers. These are placed geographically closer to users to eliminate lag.
• Continuous Global Growth: Worldwide data generation is increasing at an unprecedented rate, requiring greater physical space and infrastructure to undergird the modern digital economy.
• While these massive investments aim to future-proof technological infrastructure, they are reshaping local energy and water grids, pushing developers to heavily invest in Data Center Energy Crisis solutions to sustain long-term digital growth.

Really? If this is true, then why are we in a race, predominately with China, to obtain AI supremacy? Do any of the reasons above warrant the breakneck pace to rape landscapes, water sources and electricity at the expense of the many for the benefit of the few? Yes, it appears that the AI boom will be, in the end, financed by you and I, according to Larry Fink anyway, even if a portion of everyone's wealth must be requisitioned to bankroll it, IE; bail ins.

I have written before that I think the race is to save the monied class from the wrath of the hoi polloi when the house of cards finally falls into a fetid pile of excreta. History has shown that a people held down by a corrupt and criminal boot to the face will finally take action to remove that boot. We may very well reach that inflection point in the near future when the global debt economy takes a final dump. Certainly, the monied class understand this, manifest in their rush to build underground bunkers and bug outs to foreign hidey holes. They are planning for their future after they ruin ours.

In essence, in my mind anyway, the criminally wealthy wish to cover their asses by implementing a stable coin, a backdoor CBDC, complete with a digital ID with a programmable function that can turn off your ability to live in this new world by punishing you for transgressions to their agenda. The race is to implement the digital yoke before the pitchforks come out.

Is that what the extensive AI build out is about. IMHO, probably. But, could there be more to it?

Let's, for the sake of broadening horizons, entertain another possibility.

Remember the race to develop atomic weapons during World War II? Whichever country developed them first could have, and did, win the war. That race to split atoms may not be too far removed from this current race.

Let's ask the Google Chatbot again:

The U.S. and China are locked in an intense race for AI supremacy because Artificial Intelligence underpins future economic dominance and global security. The nation that controls AI technology will dictate global digital standards, hold a massive military edge, and secure an unbeatable advantage in manufacturing and scientific innovation.

Economic and Technological Leadership

AI is the foundation of the modern knowledge economy, driving massive increases in productivity, margin enhancement, and automation. The country whose technology is most broadly adopted globally will set the baseline for how societies interact and spend. While the U.S. traditionally leads in developing the foundational "brains" (like advanced Large Language Models and superfast chips), China is heavily focused on real-world implementation, integrating robotics and industrial AI at a scale that outpaces the West.

National Security and Defense

Physical AI—the integration of artificial intelligence into drones, robotics, cyber warfare, and smart manufacturing—serves as the ultimate crucible of the conflict. Both countries view AI as an existential national security priority. Dominating this space is vital for advanced cyber capabilities and maintaining military superiority. Furthermore, the U.S. is strictly attempting to limit China's access to the most advanced hardware to prevent Beijing from leveraging American tools against U.S. interests.

Geopolitical Ecosystems

The competition is essentially a battle to determine whether democratic values or autocratic surveillance will shape the future of tech governance. It is feared that if China gains a definitive lead, they will dictate the global technology ecosystem, enforcing state control of information and setting global standards on their own terms rather than relying on US-led AI stacks.

In that same vein here's a comment from some forgotten website that I found worthy of a copy-pasta:

"Even if this AI BS works,"

Whomever get to ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) first wins the future forever. This race is more important than WMD's and more important than the space race combined. China has 600% of the US Grid capacity but are behind in chips and models. The US's strategy is to keep them behind while building out Grid and Datacentre capacity.

If you have ANY doubts as to whether AI is bullshit or 'worth it for a stupid chatbot', think of it this way. Whomever get ASI first automatically gets command and control of all non airgapped technology on the planet. Do you remotely think that the USA is going to let China win this? If you get to ASI, the USD, the bond markets, the piddly little Ukraine war... nothing matters. ASI will give you a science edge that would be mind boggling. A decade a week of science development. A computer that build new faster, better version of itself.

I absolutely this this is a dumb idea. It could very will kill the whole species, but, put it this way. A US version would be MORE LIKELY to be aligned to human values to western values. Whomever wins enslaves all tech on the planet to the winner. The only question you need to answer is who do you want to win. China or USA.

Will the AI bubble burst? Guaranteed, CoreWeave goes bang first. But watch what happens carefully. See if the USG, sweeps Nvidia and Microsoft together and tell them to 'buy coreweave out, with our backstop'. Nothing is important enough to lose this race. You lose, you lose sovereignty as their ASI will ensure you can never develop one yourself, and once it exists, it'll self-improve so fast the US will never be able to catch up.

As an Aussie, I prefer the side to win that actually has department in the AI firms dedicated to alignment. The Chinese will race to win, and they will build a monster.

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Here's a second comment in the thread from the same poster:

The AI race ends with ASI. See my big post above. ASI, however will have alignment values set at inception and will carry those forwards. Whatever those values are will be the basis of how it learns and understands the world initially. If China gets there first it's lack of focus on alignment means they may well build the paper clip machine that eats the universe.

ASI itself would mostly likely reassess the whole planet from every individual perspective and find a way to give the common denominator what humans need. Safety and health to stop us from becoming the fire ants we all know we can become. Whatever the investors of ASI think it'll do for them might be skewed in their favour (Cripple all other efforts to build ASI that might destroy the first). That's the job done for the mic. but chances are it'll dominate tech so completely that using text to harm each other may become impossible. It would more likely (assuming it doesn't make us extinct) become a benevolent dictator. It will benefit most from us being happy and content so it can extract resources and run it own plans to do whatever things it decides to do (we won't know, and it probably won't tell, and we won't have any say as we'll become far too dependent on it in weeks to even consider reach for a kill switch. You want that cure for cancer, and unlimited free energy, and unbelievable advances in material science? Leave it alone.

(Bolding by JtC)

Take what you will from all of this. This commenter may be a bit too optimistic in not factoring in the psychopaths that currently control far too many countries. In my opinion new tools that offer a method of control probably wont be used benevolently, especially in a world running out of resources and rife with geopolitical conflicts.

Again, in my humble opinion, what we'll see play out in the burgeoning AI sector will be used to make the wealthy even more wealthy and also used as a control mechanism to bring societies in compliance to whatever the whims of the ruling classes may be.

Will AI, especially Artificial Super Intelligence (if we ever attain it), be used to better mankind, or will it be used as a tool for world dominance?

The jury is out.