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Wednesday briefing: What is behind the global backlash against datacentres?

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Communities in Scotland, India and elsewhere are opposing large datacentre developments, citing pressure on energy supplies and the climate.
  • The expansion of datacentres accelerated after ChatGPT, as technology companies and governments promoted them as essential to benefiting from artificial intelligence.
  • Campaigners and political parties, including the Scottish National Party and the Greens, have backed opposition to new facilities, including a proposed moratorium in Scotland.

Datacentres have become targets of resistance across the world this summer, as communities push back against facilities they feel have been forced upon them. From Scotland to India, campaigners warn that the boom threatens energy supplies and adds to the climate crisis.

The expansion gathered pace after the arrival of ChatGPT. Big technology companies have lobbied for enormous new facilities, while governments argue that datacentres are essential for any country hoping to benefit financially from artificial intelligence.

Campaigners see the issue differently. They say the facilities drain resources and worsen the climate crisis, turning the infrastructure behind the AI boom into a source of local opposition.

In Scotland, the backlash has won support from the Scottish National Party and the Greens, both of which have backed a moratorium on new datacentre developments. The newsletter presents the dispute as a clash between the promise of AI-driven economic gains and growing concern over the resources needed to sustain it.

a series of wrong turns

— Andy BurnhamBurnham said Britain needs to be brutally honest about the causes of a decade of low growth, blaming Brexit and Margaret Thatcher.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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