Artificial intelligence has become a strategic asset, as important to national power as past leaps in weapons and aviation. It affects military strength, intelligence, and the economy. China and Russia are pouring money into it and racing to put it to use. Washington now treats falling behind as a national-security risk in its own right. That makes staying ahead a real priority, not a talking point.

The costs, though, are just as real, and they land close to home. The benefits of this technology are measurable and growing. So are the burdens: higher electricity bills, heavy water use, and pressure on jobs. Those burdens fall hardest on the towns that host the buildings. Public worry has run ahead of the harm measured so far, but it senses correctly where things are going. That worry deserves a real answer, not a brush-off.

Here is the challenge this report takes up: how can the United States stay ahead in military and technical strength while shaping its AI spending at home to address honest concerns about the environment, the economy, and jobs?