​

Meta’s $400 billion AI investment, alongside Big Tech giants like Microsoft, is reshaping rural America. From data centers to small towns like Front Royal, this spending spree is transforming Main Street and the future of rural communities.

The Trump administration’s new AI action plan aims to fast-track data center construction, cut regulatory red tape, and expand U.S. AI exports to strategic allies — all to outpace China in the global AI race. But with ethics and caution taking a backseat, this bold push is as much about geopolitical positioning as technology. Big Tech is watching — and investing — closely.

Data center infrastructure fueling AI workloads is rapidly expanding into rural areas, bringing heavy demands on water, power, and local governance. This growth often strains resources in small towns that lack the tools and policies to manage the environmental and social impacts.

Elon Musk’s dramatic White House exit fuels a high-stakes feud over America’s AI future. As Sam Altman’s $500B Stargate project gains traction, Musk battles for control of OpenAI and influence over the next tech frontier.

In a bid to attract tech firms, West Virginia recently passed groundbreaking legislation encouraging the use of natural gas and coal to power artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. But what seemed like a step toward economic progress has ignited a firestorm of local resistance, with residents in Tucker County determined to protect their environment, communities, and way of life.

As the world approaches the quantum computing revolution, a critical challenge looms large: energy supply.

Politicians and business leaders often promote AI data centers as major job creators, but are they?