AI Data Centers Are Becoming a Critical-Minerals Demand Engine, New Study Finds

Macdonald Amoah, Maxwell Brown, Adam Simon, Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Senior Research Fellow Jahara Matisek have new research that is highlighted in this overview on how the rapid buildout of artificial intelligence data centers could become a significant new source of competition for critical minerals—not primarily because of semiconductors, but because of the massive power infrastructure required to support AI computing.  September 4, 2026.