Energy and AI summit: Trump to attend Pennsylvania event focused on future of the technology
The event, spearheaded by Republican US Senator Dave McCormick, is taking place in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University.
'This summit is about catalysing $90 billion of investment and tens of thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania,' Mr McCormick said in his opening remarks.
He also referenced the increasingly adversarial relationship between the US and China as he set the stage for the day's agenda.
'If we don't lead this AI revolution on our own terms, we will hand control of our infrastructure, data, leadership and way of life to the Chinese Communist Party,' he said.
With AI continuing to expand into all aspects of life, the burden it places on the US energy grid is becoming more of an issue, as policymakers try to keep America in the lead amid a global race for AI dominance.
According to a report from the US Energy Department, data centres consumed about 4.4 per cent of total electricity in the country in 2024. By 2028, that share could increase to 12 per cent.
By most estimates, a simple query to ChatGPT uses 10 times more energy than a similar search on Google.
The event has featured several panels and discussions on energy and AI, including how to best meet the energy needs created by the technology, and looking at the potential efficiencies that AI would create in the years ahead. There were also discussions about the need for data centres to keep up with the AI investment boom and increased user demand.
During the opening panel discussion, alternative asset management firm Blackstone made a $25 billion investment in building data centres in Pennsylvania.
Investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders from around the world are attending the event.
Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Mubadala's managing director and chief executive and chairman of the UAE Executive Affairs Authority, made the trip to Pittsburgh.
Lim Chow Kiat, chief executive of Singapore's GIC, was also invited.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright were among the White House officials in attendance.
Alex Karp, chief executive of AI firm Palantir, Joseph Dominguez, Constellation Energy chief and Jake Loosararian, founder of Gecko Robotics, also took part.
Mr Trump is scheduled to participate in a round-table discussion about AI later in the day.
As proof of how bipartisan AI and energy issues have become, Pennsylvania's Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, a staunch critic of Mr Trump and a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential race, is scheduled to be in attendance.
When it comes to coal, fracking and even nuclear power, Mr Shapiro's state has become ground zero for the US energy renaissance. A few weeks ago, Mr Shapiro attended a nuclear energy rally to celebrate a partnership with Microsoft at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in the state, which will soon reopen under a different name. Nuclear energy is seen by many supporters of AI as a way to bolster the energy grid as use of the technology expands.
Despite its bipartisan nature, critics fear the content of the event will take a back seat to politics. A day before the event, Carnegie Mellon University's president acknowledged the politically charged backdrop against which the conference was taking place.
'I recognise that CMU's decision to host the summit has prompted concern and disagreement among some members of our community,' Farnam Jahanian said, pointing out his own disagreements with Mr Trump on a number of issues concerning education funding.
'At the same time, I firmly believe that higher education must be a convener – a catalyst for ideas and partnerships that shape our future.'
On Tuesday, he spoke about why he felt CMU, with its roots in technology, was the perfect host for the summit, describing it as a 'defining moment for our country and humanity' and referring to AI as 'the most important intellectual development of our time'.
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