Infrastructure & City Planning Weekly AI News
August 11 - August 19, 2025This weekly update shows major changes happening in AI infrastructure and city planning around the world.
The United States government launched a new platform called USAi to help federal agencies use AI tools safely and quickly. This platform lets government workers test AI systems like chatbots and document helpers without extra costs. The launch supports President Trump's America's AI Action Plan to make the US a leader in AI technology.
Meanwhile, massive AI data centers are being built across America to power these AI systems. Meta is building a huge data center in Louisiana called Hyperion that would cover a large part of Manhattan. The Stargate Project, backed by OpenAI and others, plans to spend $500 billion on AI infrastructure over four years. These data centers need enormous amounts of electricity and water to run properly.
However, many local communities are fighting back against these data center projects. More than $60 billion worth of data center projects have been blocked or delayed because residents worry about noise, water use, and higher energy bills. Even Republican and Democratic officials are working together to stop some projects, which is rare in politics.
China appears to be winning the AI infrastructure race compared to the US. American AI experts who visited China were shocked to learn that power supply for data centers is considered a solved problem there. In contrast, US cities have such weak power grids that some companies are building their own power plants instead of using city electricity.
Local governments are also starting to create AI strategies to improve city services. Cities like Morrisville, North Carolina are using AI and smart technology for things like flood sensors and court scheduling. New investment companies are even creating ways for people to invest in AI infrastructure equipment through digital tokens.