The Datacenter Does Not Exist

Roberto Alonso Trillo; Marek Poliks

The Datacenter Does Not Exist

Roberto Alonso Trillo^*
, Marek Poliks

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Music

Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference paper › peer-review

Abstract

This paper examines AI infrastructure through exocapitalism, a framework for understanding how capital can move independently of physical constraints like energy, labor, and raw materials. We’ll explore the strange economics of the AI boom (trillion-dollar announcements, debts backed by computer chips, and endless layers of intermediary management services) to argue that the “datacenter” now exists primarily as a financial object: a bundle of contracts, debts, and speculative claims. We conclude by identifying the race that will define 2026: between the financialization of massively-centralized infrastructure and the death of software as we currently know it.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 9 Mar 2026
Event	MIT - Art, Culture, and Technology Program - Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Boston, United States Duration: 9 Mar 2026 → 10 Mar 2026 https://act.mit.edu/event/marek-poliks-and-roberto-alonso-trillo-the-datacenter-does-not-exist/

Lecture

Lecture	MIT - Art, Culture, and Technology Program
Country/Territory	United States
City	Boston
Period	9/03/26 → 10/03/26
Internet address	https://act.mit.edu/event/marek-poliks-and-roberto-alonso-trillo-the-datacenter-does-not-exist/

Cite this

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T1 - The Datacenter Does Not Exist

AU - Alonso Trillo, Roberto

AU - Poliks, Marek

PY - 2026/3/9

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N2 - This paper examines AI infrastructure through exocapitalism, a framework for understanding how capital can move independently of physical constraints like energy, labor, and raw materials. We’ll explore the strange economics of the AI boom (trillion-dollar announcements, debts backed by computer chips, and endless layers of intermediary management services) to argue that the “datacenter” now exists primarily as a financial object: a bundle of contracts, debts, and speculative claims. We conclude by identifying the race that will define 2026: between the financialization of massively-centralized infrastructure and the death of software as we currently know it.

AB - This paper examines AI infrastructure through exocapitalism, a framework for understanding how capital can move independently of physical constraints like energy, labor, and raw materials. We’ll explore the strange economics of the AI boom (trillion-dollar announcements, debts backed by computer chips, and endless layers of intermediary management services) to argue that the “datacenter” now exists primarily as a financial object: a bundle of contracts, debts, and speculative claims. We conclude by identifying the race that will define 2026: between the financialization of massively-centralized infrastructure and the death of software as we currently know it.

UR - https://act.mit.edu/event/marek-poliks-and-roberto-alonso-trillo-the-datacenter-does-not-exist/

M3 - Conference paper

T2 - MIT - Art, Culture, and Technology Program

Y2 - 9 March 2026 through 10 March 2026

ER -

The Datacenter Does Not Exist

Abstract

Lecture

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