Don't let data centres become a national pariah. One day, they might save us all
Data centres should only be allowed if they meet high environmental standards and are located in the right places, but it’s clear we need them
There are serious concerns about the wave of applications to build ‘hyperscale’ data centres in Scotland, particularly over noise and energy and water use. However, amid controversy over a proposed £16.5 billion data centre near Annan and other similar developments, there is also a risk Scotland is becoming overly hostile to what is, essentially, the future.
The challenge for government, therefore, is to strike the right balance between technological and economic progress and protecting the environment and people’s quality of life. To an extent, the first is dependent on the second: a failure to keep the public onside may lead to a political backlash that sets back the hoped-for progress by years.
A major reason why we need data centres is that they provide the computing power for artificial intelligence, and the turmoil affecting websites worldwide helps explain its growing importance. It was AI that identified a potential security flaw in the widely used PHP programming language and, after this information was apparently leaked, it was AI, prompted by criminals, that started trying to exploit the weakness.
A £23 billion AI prize
AI power is becoming increasingly central not just to the economy but to national security and the fight against organised crime. The first attack in any future war may well target our computer systems. Therefore, in short, our AI needs to be faster and smarter than our enemies’ AI.
Writing in The Scotsman today, technology minster Alyn Smith warns against fear of artificial intelligence causing Scotland to miss out on a massive economic opportunity, saying our GDP could be increased by £23 billion by 2035 – “with the right investment and leadership”.
The SNP government recently decided to require that ministers are notified of any new data centre applications and that environmental impact assessments are carried out for centres above a certain size. New guidance is expected to be issued later this year.
Only data centres that adhere to high environmental standards and are located in suitable places should go ahead. But we must resist the efforts of some to turn them into a new national pariah. One day, they might just be our salvation.
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