AI Accelerates Data‑Center Expansion and Raises Energy Concerns Worldwide
Artificial intelligence is reshaping data‑center strategy and environmental impact. Analysts note that AI workloads add new risk dimensions, requiring flexible infrastructure, reliable power supplies and advanced cooling, with a typical operational horizon of about 25 years. In Italy, the data‑center market is projected to grow from $7.5 bn in 2025 to $15 bn by 2031, driven by cloud expansion, public‑sector digitisation and AI‑intensive computing, while experts stress the need for robust thermal‑management solutions such as liquid cooling.
A Chinese startup is testing an alternative low‑power approach, deploying roughly a thousand Apple Mac mini computers with M4 chips to run AI inference. Each unit costs about $599 and draws 10‑30 W, offering a markedly cheaper and more energy‑efficient option than traditional GPU‑dense servers for certain AI tasks.
Major tech firms are also confronting the carbon cost of AI. Recent sustainability reports from Google and Amazon show that AI‑driven services have doubled their data‑center emissions since 2019, prompting the companies to invest in additional power‑plant capacity and reevaluate carbon‑intensity metrics. A Korean study highlights that autonomous AI agents can consume up to 136 times more energy per query than standard chatbots, implying that widespread agent deployment could require a continuous power load comparable to half of the United States’ electricity consumption.
Together, these developments illustrate how AI is both driving rapid data‑center growth and creating new challenges for energy efficiency and climate commitments.