Data Centers Can Power More Than AI Chatbots

It’s a great time to be in the data-center construction business. As much as $7 trillion could be spent globally on data centers by 2030, according to McKinsey & Co. projections, as countries around the world rapidly increase capacity. While this is putting unprecedented pressure on electricity grids and water supplies, there could be an opportunity for these facilities give back some of what they take.

Short of a major tech U-turn, data centers are necessary. As you read this article, you may be streaming some music in the background. Perhaps a few notifications have pinged your phone since you started scrolling. At several points today, you’ll either search the internet with a question or turn straight to artificial intelligence to hand you an answer.