Written by Lt. Col. Al Santos (Ret.)
President Trump has warned about the dangers of allowing China to gain influence over the digital infrastructure that supports America’s economy, military, and institutions.
That concern is well-founded. If data center development is discouraged here at home, those facilities do not simply disappear. They are just built in countries with weaker protections for free speech, fewer safeguards for sensitive data, and closer alignment with authoritarian governments.
During my career as a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer, I spent years working inside American embassies and alongside partner nations to advance U.S. security interests. Much of that work focused on identifying risks before they became crises and protecting the infrastructure that enables communication, stability, and military operations.
That same lens applies today as Florida debates how to approach artificial intelligence and the data centers that power it.
Artificial intelligence and data centers are rapidly becoming core elements of U.S. national security. While often discussed in economic terms, these facilities also support critical services, from healthcare delivery and emergency response to secure communications, military logistics, and intelligence processing. They are part of the digital infrastructure that modern societies rely on to function securely.
America’s competitors understand this clearly.
China and Russia are investing aggressively in advanced computing, AI-enabled military capabilities, and the infrastructure needed to support them. These efforts are not just about innovation or efficiency. They are about gaining long-term strategic advantage. China, in particular, has made control over data and digital systems a central component of its national security strategy.
The United States has traditionally taken a different approach. Our strength has come from private-sector innovation, competitive markets, and policies that encourage growth rather than restrict it.
Florida reflects that model. Its pro-growth environment, access to reliable energy, and strategic location have made it an attractive place for technology investment and a key part of America’s digital and defense ecosystem. That advantage, however, is not guaranteed.
AI adoption is accelerating across nearly every sector, including national defense. Militaries around the world are already using AI to process intelligence faster, strengthen cyber defenses, improve logistics, and support operational decision-making.
In this environment, delays matter. Regulatory uncertainty matters. Policies that make it harder to build and operate data centers in the United States do not reduce risk. They push investment and capability elsewhere.
Florida has an opportunity to stay ahead. From my experience overseas, I have seen what happens when countries fail to align infrastructure policy, energy planning, and security priorities. They become dependent on others for systems they can no longer control. And they are forced to react to events instead of shaping them.
Supporting data center development doesn’t mean ignoring environmental responsibility or community input. It means ensuring policies are balanced, predictable, and grounded in long-term strategic thinking. Streamlined permitting, reliable energy access, and regulatory certainty help keep critical infrastructure under U.S. jurisdiction and governed by American laws and values.
Florida should continue to be a place where critical digital infrastructure is built and protected because America’s security, economy, and way of life depend on it.
Originally published on February 6, 2026, in Tallahassee.com
