Racing Ahead on Broken Roads

This presentation will illustrate a central paradox of our era: AI has become astonishingly fast, capable, and accessible—yet the physical “roads” it depends on are cracked, narrow, and overloaded. AI models now complete complex tasks instantly, but the systems that deliver, power, and connect them lag years behind. The presentation aims to address the cooling and power crises inside AI data centers, the rising environmental and resource strain, and the persistent stagnation of broadband networks slowed by permitting hurdles, workforce shortages, and supply‑chain pressures. By contrasting futuristic tools with the aging infrastructure that limits them, the talk argues for a coordinated shift toward autonomous cooling, sustainable power, edge computing, and scalable broadband deployment.