ai

Kai Ryssdal and Meghan McCarty Carino visit a future data center and an AI startup for a look at our AI future — and the trade-offs that come with it.

While people may find the tools useful and impressive, many simultaneously worry about job displacement, deskilling, the breakdown of human connection, and the rise of data centers.

Big tech companies spent around $400 billion on data center buildout last year. That number is expected to rise in 2026.

Some $340 billion was invested by venture capital funds in 2025, according to Pitchbook and the National Venture Capital Association.

The tech giant laid out a five-point plan to address backlash in communities around the country over AI infrastructure buildouts.

Retailers want to know if you’ll pay more than the next person for the same goods and services. And they’ll use data on everything from your eye movements to your walk to find out.

Nearly a third of the power that AI data centers use goes to keeping the computing equipment cool.

Honda has postponed the reopening of a plant in China and manufacturers of consumer electronics are warning of price increases due to the shortage of computer chips.

Stock prices for companies powering AI have seen wild growth. How did we get here, and what lies ahead? 

Investment in artificial intelligence companies and data centers helped boost the U.S. economy’s growth in the third quarter, a sector that has not felt much impact from the president’s tariffs.