Heather West, a geotechnology expert at Eurasia Group, explains that there are two main types of data centers. Trinidad and Tobago is far from the only small nation betting on AI data centers. Malaysia has emerged as a major destination for AI data centers in Asia, recycling land once used for palm oil production, and has attracted investments from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon to build their own data centers. Once countries adopt American AI infrastructure, she adds, switching to Chinese alternatives becomes politically and technically more difficult. A major AI data center can bring billions of dollars in investment, new infrastructure, and closer ties with the world’s leading AI companies.