On September 2, PwC unveiled a report indicating that to cater to the escalating global demand for artificial intelligence (AI), global expenditure on data centers is projected to soar to US$31.6 trillion by 2050. This represents an investment scale of unprecedented proportions in human history. PwC highlighted on Wednesday that if the adoption of AI surpasses current expectations, data center spending over the forthcoming 25 years could potentially skyrocket to as much as US$50 trillion. This figure would far outstrip the investment in historical large-scale construction endeavors such as railways, the internet, and electrification. For context, the current gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States stands at approximately US$30 trillion.

As consumers, businesses, and governments increasingly embrace AI, tech behemoths like Microsoft and Amazon, alongside smaller data center operators, are ramping up the construction of new computing facilities across the globe. Nevertheless, the tech sector also grapples with the challenge of mounting opposition to data center construction, which could impede the expansion process. According to research firm Data Center Watch, in the initial three months of this year, at least 75 data center projects were compelled to halt or postpone due to resistance from local residents, involving a staggering total of approximately US$130 billion.