ABILENE, Texas — Artificial intelligence is hitting close to home for more and more Texans. Data centers housing the massive amounts of computing needed to power the AI ambitions of corporations like OpenAI, Oracle and Nvidia are popping up across the Texas landscape.

One campus in Abilene is projected to become one of the largest AI superclusters in the world once it’s fully built. That comes with mixed feelings from the community.

The city of Abilene is projected to keep growing, and the OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank’s Stargate project has brought jobs to the area for its construction.

The city has a storied history, with several industries contributing to its growth.

“Abilene is really considered both a frontier town and then a boomtown,” said Gretchen Bullock, a visiting professor at

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