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Story summary
- The U.S. economy is growing at a record pace, driven almost entirely by the artificial-intelligence boom.
- Data-center construction expanded 64.5 % in the most recent year, reflecting AI-related demand.
- New energy infrastructure grew 4.1 % to meet rising electricity needs.
- Manufacturing output shrank nearly 24 % from 2025 to 2026.
- Podcaster Derek Thompson authored the essay using Harvard Kennedy School economist Jason Furman's data.