The Hidden Price of Progress

Unintended Consequences: The Hidden Price of Progress

I’m stepping away from the series I began last week on the promises we make to ourselves. I’ll be sending the second installment later this week, but today I feel compelled to reflect on something else that has been occupying my thoughts.

It’s the scene of 30 or so technology “leaders” sitting down for a dinner with President and First Lady Trump. Before the meal, many of those present gave homage to President Trump. Watching this unfold, I had to stop for a moment—This feels like a movie scene, one so surreal that no one would believe it. And yet, it was real. It happened.

What struck me most wasn’t the dinner itself, but the reaction it sparked in me. Not long ago, many of these same leaders were outspoken critics of President Trump. Now, in the face of a shifting business climate, I couldn’t help but wonder: Has the instability of the business environment led them to change their stance, to align themselves with the powers that be in order to secure their interests?

As the dinner progressed, several CEOs gave brief speeches. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, spoke for just two minutes, and in that short time, he said “thank you” eight times. The President also asked each CEO about their level of investment in the U.S. over the next 3 to 5 years. All answers were in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

I’m not here to preach or cast judgment. I’m simply pointing out a fact that is undeniable: most of this investment is flowing into the AI sector. And as I’ve been following the ripple effects of this expansion, I’ve noticed something troubling. The massive cost of expanding electrical infrastructure to support AI data centers isn’t being shouldered by those tech giants—those reaping the rewards of AI innovation. It’s being passed on to every electrical user.

In a powerful New York Times article, I learned that the costs of this expansion are not being borne by the companies benefitting most. Instead, it’s the everyday people—many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet—who are paying the price.

This is one of the many unintended consequences of industrial expansion in the U.S. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not opposed to a thriving economy or business growth. What I’m highlighting is the hidden cost of that growth—the burden it places on those who can least afford it.

It also makes me wonder: Do the CEOs around that dinner table truly grasp the full impact of their decisions? What transpired to move them from being critics of the President to offering such lavish praise? And what will the long-term effects of this shift be—for them, their companies, and the broader business world?

These are the questions we must start asking, not just of our leaders but of ourselves—about the impact of our decisions and the integrity of the systems we build.