OPINION:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often framed as a race defined by algorithms and computing power. But beneath every breakthrough, every data center, every semiconductor and every advanced system is something more fundamental: chemistry.
That reality should shape how we think about America’s competitiveness in the age of AI. Because while the headlines focus on technology, leadership in AI will ultimately be decided by whether we can build and scale the physical infrastructure that makes it possible.
And that infrastructure runs on chemistry.
From advanced materials used in chips and circuit boards to cooling technologies, energy systems and the composites that enable high-performance electronics, chemistry is the engine behind AI. It allows systems to run faster, operate more efficiently and scale to meet growing demand. It’s what enables the innovation pipeline that continues to push technological boundaries forward.
There is no AI leadership without materials leadership, and there is no materials leadership without chemistry.
The United States is well-positioned to lead in both. We have world-class companies, cutting-edge research institutions, an energy feedstock advantage and a highly skilled workforce. Our domestic chemical industry remains one of the most innovative and productive in the world, powering sectors across the economy.
But we are not fully capitalizing on that advantage.
Around the world, foreign adversaries are moving with urgency to dominate supply chains, accelerate infrastructure development and create predictable environments for investment. They understand that speed, certainty and scale will determine who leads in this next phase of global competition.
In too many cases, the United States does not offer the same clarity.
For industries like chemistry where projects take years to plan and decades to operate uncertainty is not just a challenge; it’s a deterrent. When regulatory processes become unpredictable or timelines stretch, investment doesn’t wait. It moves. And when it moves, so does the foundation of emerging technologies like AI.
That has real consequences for American competitiveness.
If we want to lead globally, we need a policy framework that reflects the scale and urgency of this moment.
That starts with a system that is science-based, predictable and efficient. It means ensuring new materials and technologies can be reviewed in a timely way. It means modernizing permitting so critical projects can move forward with greater certainty. And it means aligning policy with the reality that building AI infrastructure requires sustained, large-scale investment.
This is not about weakening standards. Strong protections for health and the environment must remain fundamental. But strength and effectiveness are not at odds with speed and clarity; they depend on it.
When the system works, we don’t have to choose between growth and stewardship. We can achieve both. And in doing so, we create the conditions for innovation to thrive.
AI will shape the next era of economic growth and global leadership. The question is not whether demand will grow; it will. The question is whether the United States will be the place where the underlying infrastructure is built, scaled and sustained.
That outcome is not guaranteed. It is a choice.
For America to dominate the AI frontier we must recognize that leadership starts earlier in the value chain with the materials, systems and policies that make innovation possible.
America’s AI future will be written in code, but it will be built with chemistry.
• Chris Jahn is the President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council.
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