Inevitable Crusoe CEO and Co-founder, Chase Lochmiller: Live Special at MCJ Summit
Oct 29, 2025
Chase Lochmiller, CEO and co-founder of Crusoe, a company innovating clean AI infrastructure, shares his journey from MIT athlete to climate entrepreneur. He discusses the remarkable 1.2 GW Abilene project, emphasizing an energy-first approach to AI data centers. Chase reflects on how mountaineering influenced Crusoe’s core values and explores the intersection of AI and energy production. He predicts AI could reshape labor markets and enhance societal productivity while addressing the need for regulatory measures to mitigate risks.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Mountaineering Sparked A Leadership Value
- Chase describes being inspired by a blind climber training for Everest and how that pushed him into mountaineering.
- He links that experience to Crusoe's value: 'Think Like A Mountaineer' emphasizing preparation and contingency planning.
Why Vertical Integration Matters
- Crusoe is a vertically integrated AI infrastructure company building both physical data center hardware and software services.
- Vertical integration lets them move fast across a new, massive infrastructure category that differs from traditional cloud and power systems.
Inference Is Becoming Training-Like
- Training assembles foundational models; inference increasingly demands heavy 'test-time' compute that looks like ongoing training.
- That drives a bimodal infrastructure need: massive central campuses plus widely dispersed inference at the edge.
