In a special edition of Washington Week With The Atlantic, staff writer Josh Tyrangiel dropped by to chat about the future of AI and whether the U.S. government has any clue what to do about it. Spoiler: they're as prepared as a cat at a dog show.

Tyrangiel noted that massive data centers are sprouting up across the country, "landing themselves without a whole lot of conversation" in American towns. It's almost as if they're the surprise guest at a party who eats all the snacks and doesn't bring a bottle. He argued that it's only natural for all the anxiety about AI - job theft, human obsolescence, shifting values - to crystallize around these concrete behemoths. And politicians? They've been slower to catch on than a dial-up modem.

"I don't think people believe that they are going to partake in the wealth that comes from data centers in their community," Tyrangiel said, highlighting the growing disconnect. "Every community is going to make different choices, but what I'm sensing is that, particularly from Trump, the politics are out of line with where people are."

So while data centers multiply like bunnies, the political class is only now waking up to the fact that locals might not be thrilled about the new neighbors. You can catch Tyrangiel's full chat with Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic's editor in chief, if you're in the mood for more insights that make you nod and sigh.