Data at the centre of the net zero transition and AI ambitions

Artificial intelligence (AI) and the need to transition towards a more sustainable economy are teaming up to re-shape many UK industries. Amidst soaring demand for data centres to power all the new AI activities, construction is no exception to this trend.

AI in aid of net zero

There is no doubt that AI is turbocharging innovation in the net zero transition. In construction, new technologies help speed up design and delivery, as well as optimising energy use and improving safety measures.

In pursuit of AI’s benefits, the UK government has rolled out funds aimed at fostering green innovation within the AI sector. Specifically, its Artificial Intelligence for Decarbonisation Innovation Programme supports the development of AI technologies in the UK’s transition to net zero.

The energy drain of AI

Despite these major developments for the green transition, AI is a double agent when it comes to its environmental impacts. As the amount of data generated has exploded, so too has the burden of finding places to store it all.

Data centres are physical rooms, buildings or facilities that house IT infrastructure for building, running and delivering applications and services. Research suggests that, by the end of 2025, there will be 6,111 public data centres worldwide.

The amount of power required to run and cool AI data centres is putting massive strain on energy availability in some locations. At the same time, there is an ever-growing pressure on construction supply chains.

A new industrial revolution?

The combination of AI and the net zero transition is heralding in a new industrial revolution.

Tech boosters paint a picture of the UK as a rejuvenated technological mega-power. To achieve these ambitions, though, developers have to contend with construction’s familiar enemies: shortages and rising costs.

Solving power problems will be essential if the UK is to meet corporate and consumer demand in the years ahead. Doing so is made more complicated by the fact that, with more projects competing for connection to grids, competition for resources, skills and materials continue to push costs higher.

An unavoidable task

In 2025, data centres are not merely a commercial opportunity. From economic growth to medical research, they are now integral to modern life.

Work is underway to alleviate issues around energy generation and efficiency in the data centre market. The construction sector has a tough job ahead to keep up with demand.