Success is no sure thing. They're taking a bit of a "Field of Dreams" approach, hoping if they build the data centers, the business will come. It's not clear it will work. The approach also competes with U.A.E. which has a head start in buildout, and knowhow. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/t...

Saudi Arabia has courted the Trump administration to help ensure approvals go through for sales of A.I. chips, though some in the administration have worried about its ties to China and Chinese A.I. firms like DeepSeek and Zhipu. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/t...

Saudi's abundant energy means the cost of operating the data center could be 30 percent cheaper than the U.S.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/t...

Instead of exporting oil, the kingdom wants to export computing power. The idea is coders in Europe, Africa, and Asia connect to Saudi data centers filled with Nvidia and AMD chips. "Data embassy" zones would be set up so firms operate under their own laws. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/t...

They also hope to force American tech firms building data centers to grant a percentage of local AI compute to Chilean universities and companies. It's a novel model. One that would give countries a way to keep up in an AI race that is rapidly leaving them behind.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...

The government is endeavoring to give faster approvals to companies that build hundreds of miles north, where there is ample solar energy - cheap energy can help companies cut back water requirements for data center cooling.
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As one official said: "We didn't have the energy for it. Most of all we didn't have the water."
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In AI, Chile is a leader for the region. Yet it lags leaders like China and the U.S. It also is facing potential environmental catastrophe. Already the arid capital of Santiago has more than 30 data centers, with another 30 expected to be built in the next few years.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...

My latest story looks at the politics of AI in a country that is facing all the big problems and questions of AI at once. How it fares will become an example or a cautionary tale.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...

The dynamic will only get more intense in the years to come, with data center spending jumping from $375 billion this year to $500 billion in 2026. A portion of the expansion will be in places like La Esperanza, which already struggle to get enough water and power. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...

This has led to a global fight, with people across more than a 12 countries pushing back+asking for new controls. Governments with AI fomo, are in a difficult position. Many feel if they reject the big tech firms, they're missing out on the future. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...

One person told us "I don't even know who to be angry at." A Mexican official described the NDAs he signed an NDA as a "public service" even though it meant withholding information from the public and Mexico's utility. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...

Its one example of growing crises triggered by a global data center building boom. In Ireland next year almost one-third of the country's electricity is expected to go to data centers. Often tech companies hide their presence behind subsidiaries and service operators. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...

What was striking in reporting this story was how much Geo's surveillance app reminded me of apps I've seen used in China and other authoritarian countries. The context is different in a democracy, but it raises big questions about the humane use of surveillance. www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/w...

It also gives Geo Group a surprisingly complete hold over immigration in the U.S. One subject we followed was added to Geo's surveillance when he entered, was arrested at a Geo office by ICE when summoned, and now sits at a Geo facility awaiting deportation. The company makes money on each step.

For Geo Group, the surveillance is a major profit center. Its margins on the service are about 50%. For an immigrant to send a checkin selfie, it charges the US government $1.00. Sources said managers pressure Geo employees to rush thru immigrant oversight procedures. It was all about numbers.