On October 30th, 2023, President Biden signed an Executive Order aimed to address the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on safety, privacy and innovation in the United States. While much of the Executive Order aims to take the first steps toward new standards on AI safety and security in the US, including privacy provisions, it underscores the indispensable role that digital infrastructure plays in the support and security of AI. 

While this Executive Order paves the way for laying out regulations and standards, Congressional action is necessary to further advance the initiatives outlined within it.  The implications of this Executive Order are far reaching and have the potential to affect innovation, resilience, sustainability and growth in all aspects of digital infrastructure.

The underlying impacts for the digital infrastructure industry are as follows: 

• The Executive Order recognizes that to unlock the full potential of AI, a resilient, high-speed and secure digital infrastructure is imperative. Our industry is at the heart of building this digital backbone, providing the essential infrastructure that empowers AI to flourish.
• As AI continues to permeate various sectors, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes paramount. As an industry, we understand that security is a cornerstone of the AI ecosystem and are at the forefront of developing cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, ensuring data protection in this new AI-centric era.
• There is an implied recognition of companies that offer a wide array of services essential for AI development, such as broadband expansion, data centers, cloud services and more. These forward-thinking companies are not just keeping pace with the AI revolution but are actively driving it, and they are eager to showcase their expertise, innovations, and visions for the future.

What isn’t overtly outlined, but will require consideration, is that AI will generate massive amounts of data at exponentially increasing rates. The compute power, capacity and power needed by the digital infrastructure industry, particularly data centers, will be immense. There is already an urgent need to reduce carbon output by the industry. Innovation and sustainability must go hand-in-hand as we work to enable AI.  

By shining a spotlight on the trailblazing companies that will push the industry forward, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how they are shaping the digital infrastructure landscape.

See the White House Fact Sheet on the Executive Order here.