Bartlett Cleland
Senior Fellow
Institute for Policy Innovation 5810 Long Prairie Road, Suite 700, PMB 352 Flower Mound, TX 75028Bartlett D. Cleland is a research fellow with the Institute for Policy Innovation, where his work focuses on technology, innovation, telecommunications and public policy. An attorney and longtime technology policy expert, Cleland has served on federal advisory bodies, including the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Council, and previously represented the Institute for Policy Innovation on the Internet Safety Technical Task Force established at the request of 49 state attorneys general. He has also worked on technology policy for former U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft and contributed commentary on innovation and regulatory issues for national publications.
Topics
Appearances (1)
2026-06-30
‘Why AI Needs the Midwest’ with Bartlett Cleland of the Institute for Policy InnovationIn the Powering America Podcast episode titled "Why AI Needs the Midwest," host Bryan Hyde interviews Bartlett Cleland, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Policy Innovation. Cleland discusses the critical role of artificial intelligence infrastructure, particularly data centers, in driving economic growth in the Midwest and highlights the potential job creation and technological advancements that could arise from this investment. He also addresses concerns about foreign funding aimed at opposing data center development in the U.S. and the importance of public understanding in navigating these challenges.
Notable quotes
“The promise of AI for tomorrow is a kind of the same promise that neural networks... have definitely taken huge leaps forward as computing power and speed have taken huge leaps forward.”
“AI is merely computing power plus data. That's it.”
“The first phase of a data center is about the size of an aircraft carrier. That's about a billion-dollar investment.”
“This is not just an environmental argument... it takes away the economic opportunity, and other places look more attractive.”
“I thought we were here fighting for the US. It’s puzzling to me.”
“If people are protesting, why build there if you don't need to?”
