Bloomberg Talks

Episode: Dell and DOE Talk Partnering on Building AI Infrastructure

Date: March 12, 2026
Host: Bloomberg
Guests:

• Michael Dell (Chairman and CEO, Dell Technologies)
• Dr. Dario Gill (Undersecretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy)

Episode Overview

This episode features an exclusive conversation with Michael Dell and Dr. Dario Gill, focusing on the critical partnership between Dell Technologies and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in building out AI infrastructure. The discussion covers advances in national lab supercomputing, the urgency and challenges of rapid AI development, balancing national security and cyber threats, global supply chain constraints, and energy requirements for next-generation data centers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Push from Pilot to Production in Government AI

[01:37]

• Michael Dell explains that many government AI projects are progressing “from the pilot phase to production phase.”
• Dell Technologies has crafted “a platform for open scalable systems to enable all the great science occurring in the national labs and beyond,” referencing the Doudna cluster as a new deployment.
• The core mission: “accelerating scientific discovery and progress” across diverse locations, whether “in space, out in the field and everywhere else.”

  “We have built a platform for open, scalable systems... enabling the mission wherever it occurs.” – Michael Dell [01:37]

AI Infrastructure as National Security Imperative

[03:07]

• Dr. Dario Gill asserts that AI is triggering a “computing revolution,” set to redefine American science and engineering.
• He references Presidential action: “President Trump signed an executive order to launch the Genesis mission,” aiming to “harness this computing revolution to double the productivity and impact of America’s trillion-dollar R&D ecosystem.”
• AI is tightly coupled with national security in its applications to “energy, health, and the power of using AI to accelerate science.”

  “We are in the midst of a computing revolution and AI is at the heart of that revolution.” – Dr. Dario Gill [03:07]

Speeding Up the Supercomputing Race

[04:08]

• Dr. Gill highlights a dramatic increase in the pace of deploying supercomputers:
  • Recent systems (using Nvidia GPUs) are being built for operation by mid-2027.
  • Projects now take “two years” to build, compared to a decade previously.
• Early access programs are accelerating the availability of new capabilities for scientists.

  “We used to have supercomputing projects that would take a decade... Now we’re building these things in two years.” – Dr. Dario Gill [04:08]

Leveraging Commercial Architecture for Government

[04:46]

• Michael Dell notes the government is leveraging “integrated, rack-scalable systems” initially built for enterprise, thanks to Dell's open architecture.
• This approach “accelerates the government’s progress in all its infrastructure requirements,” tapping into commercial innovation to serve public needs.

  “Leveraging that open scalable architecture that we built will accelerate the government’s progress in all of its infrastructure requirements.” – Michael Dell [04:46]

National Security, Supply Chains, and AI Risk

[05:17]

• Discussion on Pentagon designating certain AI companies (e.g., Anthropic) as supply chain risks.
• Michael Dell diplomatically refrains from direct criticism, emphasizing Dell’s focus on serving “authorized users" and stressing that companies cannot dictate sovereign government choices:

  “I don’t think a company can dictate to a sovereign government what it does with its tools. I just don’t think that’s a workable model.” – Michael Dell [05:53]

Cybersecurity: AI as Both Threat and Defense

[06:24]

• Dr. Gill stresses cybersecurity must be embedded “from day one” in both culture and technical architecture.
• The threat environment is evolving: "AI-driven cyber attacks are increasing," and only "AI-driven cyber defenses" can keep pace.
• Advanced practices like automated “red teaming and blue teaming” are increasingly AI-powered, informing new defense architectures.

  “AI-driven cyber attacks are increasing in its power and the only way... is with AI-driven cyber defenses.” – Dr. Dario Gill [07:36]

Global Supply Chain and Data Center Bottlenecks

[08:04]

• Michael Dell identifies memory, silicon, advanced node semiconductors, and power infrastructure as current constraints.
• Demand for AI data centers is “ahead of supply”—Dell’s resiliency comes from a globally distributed supply chain.
• Despite challenges, Dell claims “we are able to provide an enormous amount of this to our customers because we’ve got our arms around a lot of supply.”

  “The demand is ahead of the supply and the constraints are... memory, silicon, advanced node semiconductors and power... We are able to provide an enormous amount... because we’ve got our arms around a lot of supply.” – Michael Dell [08:27]

Energy as the Backbone of the AI Revolution

[09:25]

• Dr. Gill positions energy supply as “the other side of the coin of the AI computing revolution.”
• States that “there is no way for us to deliver” on infrastructure ambitions “without a growing energy and affordable energy supply.”
• The Administration’s strategy includes a “renaissance of nuclear power” and investments in fusion, expanding the nation's energy horizon.

  “We need a world of more energy and... secure energy systems... We need to invest across all the different horizons.” – Dr. Dario Gill [09:46]

Notable Quotes

• Michael Dell:

  “We have built a platform for open, scalable systems... enabling the mission wherever it occurs.” [01:37]
  “Leveraging that open scalable architecture that we built will accelerate the government’s progress in all of its infrastructure requirements.” [04:46]
  “I don't think a company can dictate to a sovereign government what it does with its tools. I just don't think that's a workable model.” [05:53]

• Dr. Dario Gill:

  “We are in the midst of a computing revolution and AI is at the heart of that revolution.” [03:07]
  “We used to have supercomputing projects that would take a decade... Now we’re building these things in two years.” [04:08]
  “AI-driven cyber attacks are increasing in its power and the only way... is with AI-driven cyber defenses.” [07:36]
  “We need a world of more energy and... secure energy systems... We need to invest across all the different horizons.” [09:46]

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• [01:37] Michael Dell on moving from pilots to production in government AI
• [03:07] Dr. Gill on AI as both a scientific and security frontier
• [04:08] Gill's insight on accelerating the supercomputing build timeline
• [04:46] Dell on public sector leveraging commercial innovation
• [05:53] Dell's view on company versus government sovereignty
• [07:36] Gill describes AI-powered cyber defense paradigms
• [08:27] Dell details supply chain constraints and Dell’s response
• [09:46] Gill outlines energy needs and future investment priorities

Conclusion

This episode provides a window into the high-stakes partnership between Dell Technologies and the U.S. government, revealing the complex interplay between technology innovation, national security, supply chains, and energy policy. Both Michael Dell and Dr. Dario Gill emphasize the urgency of AI infrastructure deployment and the responsibilities and risks that attend it, while mapping out the broad investments and safeguards needed to secure America's position at the forefront of the AI era.