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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Hettie O'Brien

Wednesday briefing: ​What’s behind the global backlash against datacentres?

Andy Burnham Aisha Down United Kingdom United States Donald Trump Libby Scotland Electricity India
A security fence with razor wire and cameras surrounds Amazon's AWS datacentre building
Amazon’s hyperscale datacentre in Oxfordshire. Photograph: Horst Friedrichs/Alamy

Good morning. This summer, datacentres have become targets of resistance across the world. Ever since the arrival of ChatGPT, big tech has been lobbying for the creation of enormous new facilities. Many governments claim they’re essential in any country that wants to cash in on AI.

Campaigners argue datacentres drain resources and exacerbate the climate crisis. The Scottish National Party has backed a moratorium on new developments; so has the Greens. The boom has been immense, and so has the backlash. Today’s newsletter explains why.

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