The next chapter of the AI race may not be written by software companies alone. It may be decided by the electrical infrastructure powering the world’s data centers. The International Energy Agency reports that electricity demand from data centers climbed 17% in 2025, driven largely by AI investment, while developers increasingly face bottlenecks involving power grids, transformers, and grid connections. Those pressures are shifting attention from algorithms toward the physical infrastructure required to support them.
That challenge extends beyond simply generating enough power. Modern AI facilities should also monitor, distribute, and manage electricity with extraordinary precision. Even brief electrical disturbances can interrupt computing operations, damage sensitive equipment, delay services, and create significant financial consequences. As organizations invest billions of dollars into AI infrastructure, electrical reliability is increasingly becoming a strategic business consideration rather than solely an engineering responsibility.
From Laila Durban’s perspective, this shift reflects a broader transformation occurring throughout the industry. Durban serves as Head of Business Development at Magnelab, a Colorado-based manufacturer of current transformers and other electrical components produced in the United States. The company develops products that measure and monitor electrical current across industrial applications, helping organizations better understand how power moves throughout their systems while supporting safe and reliable operations. Durban believes growing investment in AI has also increased awareness of the importance of electrical monitoring, particularly as data centers continue expanding in both scale and complexity.
“Artificial intelligence depends on infrastructure that people rarely see,” Durban says. “Every advancement in computing still relies on dependable electrical systems operating exactly as intended. The better organizations understand and monitor those systems, the better positioned they are to support long-term growth.”
Durban believes the pace of AI innovation is also changing expectations for electrical infrastructure. While standard components continue serving many applications, others require engineering modifications that align with evolving equipment and system designs. From her perspective, adaptability has become an increasingly important part of supporting next-generation AI facilities.
According to her, this collaborative approach has shaped Magnelab’s work for decades. Beyond offering a catalog of standard current transformers, the company also works with customers to modify designs that better fit specialized applications. From her perspective, engineering support has become increasingly valuable as organizations seek solutions that align with rapidly changing technologies instead of relying exclusively on standard configurations.
Durban notes that the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is also changing how organizations evaluate critical electrical components. As data centers grow more sophisticated and power demands become increasingly complex, she explains that procurement decisions are extending beyond product specifications to include engineering collaboration, manufacturing responsiveness, and long-term operational confidence. From her perspective, U.S. manufacturing has become an important consideration for organizations seeking closer technical partnerships throughout the lifecycle of their infrastructure.
“We’re seeing organizations place greater value on working with engineering teams that can respond to their specific requirements,” Durban says. “Every application is different, and sometimes a small design modification can make a meaningful difference in how a component integrates into a customer’s equipment.”
That flexibility, she explains, also serves as a preventative measure. Electrical monitoring is intended to help operators identify irregularities before they develop into larger operational issues, supporting maintenance decisions and improving confidence in system performance. As AI infrastructure grows in both scale and complexity, Durban believes preventative engineering will become an increasingly important part of maintaining reliable operations rather than simply responding after problems occur.
The pace of AI innovation is unlikely to slow, but Durban believes sustaining that momentum will require equal attention to the infrastructure behind it. As organizations continue expanding data center capacity and investing in more advanced computing, she suggests that dependable electrical systems will increasingly influence operational resilience, efficiency, and long-term growth.
For Durban and the team at Magnelab, the industry’s future depends on recognizing that innovation extends well beyond software itself. “Every breakthrough in artificial intelligence ultimately relies on dependable physical infrastructure designed to operate safely, efficiently, and consistently over time,” she says. As organizations continue investing in the next generation of AI capabilities, she believes equal attention should be given to the electrical foundations supporting those ambitions.
“The future of AI will be shaped by countless innovations that people never see,” Durban says. “Reliable electrical infrastructure is one of them. When organizations invest in dependable engineering, adaptable solutions, and quality manufacturing, they’re investing in the resilience that allows innovation to continue moving forward.”
