Leaders worldwide are moving fast to deploy AI at scale. But scaling AI means more data centers—and data centers consume vast quantities of energy. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey’s Jesse Noffsinger and Pankaj Sachdeva speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about what needs to happen to build new, bigger data centers quickly, as well as to sate their growing hunger for power.

Articles mentioned: 

A generational shift: The future of foreign aid

Risk rebalancing: Five important geopolitical-risk questions for CIOs

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw

Leaders worldwide are moving fast to deploy AI at scale. But scaling AI means more data centers&mdash;and data centers consume vast quantities of energy. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/jesse-noffsinger">Jesse Noffsinger</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/pankaj-sachdeva">Pankaj Sachdeva</a> speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about what needs to happen to build new, bigger data centers quickly, as well as to sate their growing hunger for power.
Articles mentioned:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/social-sector/our-insights/a-generational-shift-the-future-of-foreign-aid">A generational shift: The future of foreign aid</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/risk-rebalancing-five-important-geopolitical-risk-questions-for-cios">Risk rebalancing: Five important geopolitical-risk questions for CIOs</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw

The McKinsey Podcast, our new flagship podcast series, takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

The McKinsey Podcast features conversations with experts from global management-consulting firm McKinsey & Company, focusing on the issues that matter most in business and management.

The McKinsey Podcast

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey &amp; Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

Data centers: The race to power AI

The next era of value creation may be defined less by digital innovation alone and more by the ability to build, operate, and scale physical assets. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast,  co-CEO of Hines Laura Hines-Pierce joins McKinsey’s North American Chair Eric Kutcher to discuss a widening gap between digital ambition and physical capacity. From a global housing shortage to an emergency energy and infrastructure supercycle, the conversation explores what it takes to build at scale—and why labor, permitting, and supply chain are now the true bottlenecks. They also reflect on leadership, organizational change, and preparing a 70-year-old firm for a more volatile, fast-changing future.

In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership.

The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

To watch the full-length version of this interview, visit The McKinsey Podcast playlist on McKinsey’s YouTube channel.

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

The next era of value creation may be defined less by digital innovation alone and more by the ability to build, operate, and scale physical assets. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, &nbsp;co-CEO of Hines Laura Hines-Pierce joins McKinsey&rsquo;s North American Chair <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/eric-kutcher">Eric Kutcher</a> to discuss a widening gap between digital ambition and physical capacity. From a global housing shortage to an emergency energy and infrastructure supercycle, the conversation explores what it takes to build at scale&mdash;and why labor, permitting, and supply chain are now the true bottlenecks. They also reflect on leadership, organizational change, and preparing a 70-year-old firm for a more volatile, fast-changing future.
In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership.
The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
To watch the full-length version of this interview, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvMIsPbo0GAPNJfL83RKPmeuJRSk0KKu&amp;si=PldqxOy2OWYRvFFW">The McKinsey Podcast playlist</a>&nbsp;on McKinsey&rsquo;s YouTube channel.
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: <a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

The new advantage in the age of AI: Building in the real world

Could AI transformation be exhausting humans rather than optimizing their performance? As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, organizations face a new challenge: ensuring people have the brain health and skills to cope with the cognitive demands of technology. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Partners and Kana Enomoto, and McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) Senior Fellow Jacqueline Brassey, speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about why brain capital is becoming a key competitive advantage in the age of AI—and what leaders can do to build healthier, more adaptable, and higher-performing organizations.

In the second half of this episode, McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal joins Lucia to answer a few audience questions from a recent McKinsey Live webinar on geopolitics and how it’s reshaping global trade. 

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series.

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Could AI transformation be exhausting humans rather than optimizing their performance? As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, organizations face a new challenge: ensuring people have the <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/the-human-advantage-stronger-brains-in-the-age-of-ai">brain health and skills</a> to cope with the cognitive demands of technology. On this episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey Partners <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/erica-coe"></a>and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kana-enomoto">Kana Enomoto</a>, and McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) Senior Fellow Jacqueline Brassey, speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about why brain capital is becoming a key competitive advantage in the age of AI&mdash;and what leaders can do to build healthier, more adaptable, and higher-performing organizations.
In the second half of this episode, McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal joins Lucia to answer a few audience questions&nbsp;from a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/how-ceos-can-navigate-the-new-era-of-trade">McKinsey Live&nbsp;webinar</a> on geopolitics and how it&rsquo;s reshaping global trade.&nbsp;
The McKinsey Podcast&nbsp;is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
This episode has been adapted from our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-live/webinars">McKinsey Live&nbsp;webinar series</a>.
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: <a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

The human advantage in an AI economy

As sports become an even bigger engine of economic growth, the defining challenge isn’t identifying tomorrow’s fans; it’s recognizing that many of them are already filling stadiums, attending World Cup watch parties, and participating in digital communities. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Lucy Pérez joins Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to reflect on McKinsey’s recent research about the growing influence of Latino fans, the brand opportunities for personalized engagement, and the investments that strengthen fandom—from youth sports all the way through lifelong participation.

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

As sports become an even bigger engine of economic growth, the defining challenge isn&rsquo;t identifying tomorrow&rsquo;s fans; it&rsquo;s recognizing that many of them are already filling stadiums, attending World Cup watch parties, and participating in digital communities. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/lucy-perez">Lucy P&eacute;rez</a> joins Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to reflect on McKinsey&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/unlocking-the-growing-power-of-latino-fans-building-a-stronger-sports-economy">recent research</a> about the growing influence of Latino fans, the brand opportunities for personalized engagement, and the investments that strengthen fandom&mdash;from youth sports all the way through lifelong participation.
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Data centers: The race to power AI

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