This election’s biggest AI story isn’t about data centers
TL;DR
Abdul El-Sayed, then-Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, speaks during a news conference near the construction site of "The Barn" data center, developed by Related Digital for Oracle and OpenAI, in Saline Township, Michigan, on July 30, 2026. | Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images You’ve probably been hearing a lot about data centers this week. Candidates in several races made regulating data centers a key part of their campaigns. Now, 40 ballot measures to slow or stop data centers have passed.
Nauti's Take
For small teams, this is a signal to treat infrastructure choices as political and operational risks. Before scaling an AI workflow, document power requirements, location dependency, data control, and possible regulatory changes, especially when a vendor relies on its own data centers or long-term commitments.
Sources