Candice’s Current Thinking
Weekly analysis and perspectives on the AI and policy landscape.
THIS WEEK IN AI
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has called this the largest infrastructure buildout in human history. But with U.S. data center energy needs set to nearly triple by 2030, local communities are pushing back against rising utility costs, massive water usage, and the constant hum of cooling fans.
This week, I'm tracking state and local opposition to data centers, the emergence of a "shadow grid," and India's bid to woo big tech.
THIS WEEK IN AI
For the first time at the Munich Security Conference, tech sat “alongside tanks and treaties” as a pillar of global security. But the alliance that's supposed to secure the future spent most of the weekend contemplating whether it still exists.
This week, I'm tracking the mood coming out of Munich and the coinciding launch of the Trusted Tech Alliance.
Photo: U.S. Department of State
Iran and the Liar’s Dividend
In late December, protests broke out across Iran amid a deepening economic crisis. As demonstrations spread and authorities moved to suppress them, the Iranian regime imposed a near-total internet blackout beginning January 8. Amnesty International warned the shutdown was being used to conceal killings and prevent evidence from reaching the outside world.
The tactic is familiar. Internet shutdowns have long been part of Iran's playbook, designed to create doubt "and for us to be confused with who is telling the truth," experts say.
Owning the Future of Quantum Computing
On October 23, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration was exploring equity stakes in U.S. quantum computing companies like IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum. The story surfaced just days before President Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which took place on the sidelines of the APEC Summit amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade and tech restrictions.
The Commerce Department denied they were “currently” in talks with quantum companies, careful phrasing that neither addressed prior discussions nor ruled out future ones. Quantum stocks rose and remained up, even after the denial.
Candice Bryant Consulting provides strategic intelligence, public affairs advisory, and communications strategy for organizations operating at the intersection of AI and emerging tech policy, national security and public-private partnerships.
“This is a 1996 moment for AI — the companies that show up in Washington will shape the next decade.”
— Candice Bryant