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Applied AI·July 27, 2026·1 min read

Power up your AI infrastructure! A first look at the Smart Systems Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

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A dedicated Smart Systems stage on fusion, grid strain, and AI infra is another marker that power and energy are now board-level AI topics. If you're scaling models, your infra roadmap needs a power and siting strategy, not just a cloud region choice.

Applied AI

The AI pricing paradox: AI PCs might be the answer to spiralling cloud costs for some, but that doesn't mean cloud computing's days are numbered

Cloud AI is drifting toward metered, outcome-based pricing while AI PCs get more expensive upfront—TCO now depends heavily on workload shape and locality, not ideology. This is the moment to segment your AI use cases into latency-sensitive, privacy-sensitive, and bursty, then model which belong on device, in your DC, or in the cloud over a 3–5 year horizon.