Building the Machine: Infrastructure for the Intelligence Era

Every advance in artificial intelligence depends on a complex industrial backbone: the data centers, networks, power systems, and water resources that make large-scale computing possible. As demand for AI grows, the challenge is not simply to add capacity, but to design and build infrastructure that is reliable, resource-conscious, and thoughtfully integrated into the cities and regions that host it. Success depends on smart choices in data center site selection, architecture, grid access, cooling, and the relationships among developers, governments, and communities. Two leaders in data-center development and design examine what it takes to build at the scale AI requires, and with the public trust on which it depends. Kevin Guan, Chief Investment Officer & Executive Vice President, Bridge Data Centres John Taylor, Global Critical Facilities Leader, Principal , Gensler Nicholas Gordon, Editor, Asia, Fortune