More data required

Australia’s pipeline of huge data centre projects has raised questions about how much energy and water these giant server farms will use. 225 data centres are proposed or under development, increasing their take of national power consumption from 3 to 13%.

Avoiding a data centre backlash

If Australian land, energy, water, workers, research institutions, and communities power the AI boom, then who benefits and who bears the burden?

The concrete cloud

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a software tool. It has become the world’s most demanding construction client with some concerning environmental implications.

Digital embassy or tech tax dodge?

The world’s tech giants pay almost no tax to the countries they generate profits in and Atlassian cofounder Scott Farquhar’s proposal to exempt datacentres on Australian soil owned by foreign companies from Australian law is all about tax evasion rather than encouraging innovation.

An Australian home for AI

Targeted government investment in energy infrastructure, streamlined regulatory processes, strategic policy support and local innovation could unlock Australia’s competitive advantages in hosting the data centres vital for AI.