u/JakeTurner8678

AI is usually discussed through chips, GPUs, models and software, but the physical layer is much less talked about.

A hyperscale AI data center is basically a small power station. It needs grid connections, transformers, switchgear, busbars, cooling systems, networking cables and backup power. All of that pulls copper into the conversation.

One estimate in a copper supply-chain report says every megawatt of data center capacity can require roughly 27 to 47 tons of copper. A conventional data center might use 5,000 to 15,000 tonnes of copper, while a large AI facility could use much more.

That is why I think copper miners and copper explorers are becoming more relevant to the AI trade. It is not just about software anymore. The grid buildout has to physically happen.

OTC: NREDF is one small copper-gold exploration name I am watching in this broader copper supply theme.

NFA. Do you think investors are underestimating the copper side of AI infrastructure?

NХХT just put together the combination momentum traders usually look for: a real earnings catalyst and massive volume confirmation. Q1 revenue rose to $21.1M, up 29% YoY, while gross profit increased to $1.7M from $518k. That margin line matters because gross margin improved to 8.1% from 3.2%, which suggests better route optimization, fleet utilization, and operating efficiency in the mobile fueling platform.

The stock reaction has been extreme, but it is not happening in a vacuum. Premarket trading has been reported around $0.54 to $0.63 after a $0.2804 close, with before-hours volume above 81M shares. That is the part that makes traders pay attention. Price can move on hype, but volume shows participation. When a stock holds a major gap with that much activity, people start watching for continuation instead of dismissing it as a quick spike.

The broader platform story also gives it more than one angle. Management is framing NXXT around mobile fueling, smart microgrids, Utility Operating System software, wireless EV charging, and energy logistics. NeutronX also adds a federal-contracting angle after receiving its CAGE Code, with estimated opportunities under review in the $1.3B to $2.2B range.

The risk is still real. Cash was low, and this is still a volatile small cap. But today’s move has three things traders care about: numbers, narrative, and volume. That is why it is sitting on the top-gainers screen.

Not advice.

I recently sold my NBIS position after it grew to almost 90% of my portfolio. Part of that was just locking in gains, but part of it is also because I think AI is starting to look extremely overvalued.

To be clear, I do think AI is useful and will probably matter long term. I just think the market may be pricing it like every company is going to generate massive ROI from it, when in reality a lot of corporate use cases still seem pretty basic: summarizing documents, research help, coding assistance, internal automation, etc. Useful, yes. Worth trillions in buildout spending across the market? I’m less convinced.

Now I’m trying to figure out where to put capital without just jumping back onto the AI trade.

The problem is inflation. It feels like we are moving into an “own assets or get left behind” environment, especially with the dollar losing a lot of purchasing power since 2020 and inflation still feeling sticky. I do not necessarily need to beat the market in the short term. I just want to avoid sitting in cash and slowly getting eaten alive.

But almost every sector seems exposed to AI now in some way. Tech is obvious, but even utilities, energy, industrials, data centers, real estate, and infrastructure are all being pulled into the same AI narrative.

So what is actually somewhat insulated?

Are there asset classes, stocks, or ETFs that are less dependent on the AI boom but still have a reasonable chance of keeping up with inflation?

I’m thinking about things like commodities, energy, infrastructure, dividend/value ETFs, TIPS, short-term Treasuries, or maybe certain real asset plays, but I’m not sure what makes the most sense in a stagflation-type environment.

For people trying to avoid the AI bubble without going fully defensive, what are you looking at?

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There is a big difference between holding land and committing capital to test it.

NovaRed Mining (NRED) structured the Trojan Condor deal with about $8.5M in required exploration spending to earn a 70 percent interest. About $1.5M of that is expected to be spent in 2026.

That gives a clearer picture of intent.

The company is not just expanding its footprint to over 16000 hectares. It is tying ownership to work on the ground. In early stage mining, that is where projects start to move from concept to execution.

The corridor itself adds about 4573 hectares and connects to the existing Wilmac project in the Quesnel porphyry belt, about 10 km from Copper Mountain. The idea is to test a larger system rather than a single isolated target.

The 2026 program still centers on about 80 line kilometres of IP and AMT surveys. These surveys are used to map subsurface anomalies that could point to copper bearing zones.

More ground plus committed spending means more data coming out of the same field season.

NRED's structure now shows how the company plans to move forward.

NFA.

Do you look for capital commitment like this before taking exploration projects seriously, or is geology still the main factor for you?

One line in that letter stands out more than anything else: microgrids should be central to the solution. That’s not a side comment that’s a shift in how the problem is being framed. Instead of treating localized energy as optional, it’s being positioned as a core part of national infrastructure going forward.

The context makes it stronger. The grid is aging, demand is accelerating, and large projects are getting slowed down at the state level. At the same time, the system is already under stress during peak conditions. That combination forces a different approach not just more centralized capacity, but faster, local, flexible power systems that can be deployed without waiting years for grid upgrades.

That’s why microgrids keep coming up. They can operate independently, reduce pressure on the main grid, and keep power running when outages hit. When those capabilities move from “nice to have” to “necessary,” the entire category starts to get revalued.

And that’s where NXXT fits into the picture. The company isn’t just building around this idea it’s actively pushing for it to become policy. That moves it from being just another small-cap energy name to being aligned with the direction the system is being forced to take.

Global defense doubles to $6T by 2040. A destroyer uses 200-400t Cu, an F-35 uses ~900 kg. AI + defense = 4M tonnes cumulative copper demand by 2040.

Defense is not a typical copper demand story. It should be. Global defense spending doubles to $6T by 2040 per recent forecasts. NATO rearmament is accelerating. Copper is a military metal.

The numbers:

- A destroyer uses 200-400t Cu

- An F-35 uses ~900 kg Cu

- AI + defense combined = 4M tonnes cumulative demand by 2040

Defense copper demand is inelastic. You do not substitute aluminum for copper in radar systems or naval electronics. If the defense buildout happens as projected, the copper must come from somewhere.

Wilmac is on my watchlist because it sits in BC with CUSMA exemption, 350-400 km from the U.S. border, in a jurisdiction where American defense contractors can source without tariff risk.

I am not saying NRED becomes a defense supplier. I am saying the defense demand vector is real, it is large, and it adds pressure to a supply pipeline that is already constrained.

If defense spending tracks to $6T and copper remains a strategic metal, Canadian porphyries in CUSMA jurisdictions carry a premium most investors are not modeling.

Worth watching. NFA.