Datacentres are a ticking time bomb. We must make sure AIโs benefits outweigh the costs | Nicki Hutley | TheBriefWire
Datacentres are a ticking time bomb. We must make sure AIโs benefits outweigh the costs | Nicki Hutley
Published 8 July 2026 ยท finance
They suck up energy and water, and blast out heat. Just who is better off from all this investment โ aside from tech bros? The
They suck up energy and water, and blast out heat. Just who is better off from all this investment โ aside from tech bros? The two great existential threats of our time โ the climate crisis and AI โ come hurtling together in the explosion of datacentres across Australia and around the world. You can hardly avoid hearing about them these days, either with awed reverence of the promised benefits to humankind or with fear and anger given the implications for the climate, inflation, jobs and even housing affordability. Continue reading...
Published: July 8, 2026 โข 8:30 PM IST ยท Updated: July 8, 2026 โข 9:08 PM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points
They suck up energy and water, and blast out heat.
Just who is better off from all this investment โ aside from tech bros?
The two great existential threats of our time โ the climate crisis and AI โ come hurtling together in the explosion of datacentres across Australia and around the world.
You can hardly avoid hearing about them these days, either with awed reverence of the promised benefits to humankind or with fear and anger given the implications for the climate, inflation, jobs and even housing affordability.