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Artificial intelligence initiatives have become some of the most sought-after attractions for global funding, as governments across the globe, including Thailand, are actively seeking out technology firms to establish these projects within their borders.

Many are entering as data centers, where servers, data storage, and networking hardware have become the latest popular investment.

The New York Times recently stated that 60% of the 1,244 biggest data centres globally are located outside the United States. It is reported that at least 575 such initiatives are currently under construction in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Southeast Asia is also becoming a significant data center hub, with Singapore and Malaysia leading the way. The Thai government anticipates a boost as Johor Bahru in Malaysia and Singapore experience shortages of both electricity and water. Local developers are urging the government to enhance the power grid and generate more renewable energy to support data centers.

The nation intends to invest in and draw in data center growth, increasing its power capacity from 350 megawatts to 1,000MW over the next three years, with a total investment of US$6.5 billion (211 billion baht).

Amidst all the economic figures, there is an increasing number of grievances regarding the intensifying rivalry for resources among different communities and data centers.

Artificial intelligence data centers are recognized for their high energy consumption to support AI applications, and they need large quantities of water to maintain system cooling.

Electricity outages are reportedly becoming more severe in Mexico and South Africa, while in Ireland, data centers use over 20% of the nation’s power supply, and 7% of Singapore’s energy demand is linked to AI data centers.

In Chile, it is claimed that groundwater is being exhausted because of this pattern. Comparable worries have been mentioned in Brazil, Britain, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Spain.

The key issue is: Is the Thai government and other relevant authorities informed about this responsibility?

With the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) being established as a hub for data centers, particularly in Chon Buri and Rayong provinces, have officials ensured sufficient water supply for the agricultural sector, the major petrochemical facility in Rayong, the tourism sector in Pattaya, and all these data centers?

To avoid overlooking the issue, water scarcity has led to conflicts between farmers and the industrial sector in recent years. The increase in data centers will worsen these disputes.

Regarding electricity, the government must provide additional power to data centers that operate continuously. Several data centers owned by companies based in Western nations also need a clean and reliable power source.

Is the investment aimed at increasing power supply justified by the economic benefits, considering the associated risks and challenges? After all, a one-gigawatt facility can use as much electricity and water as 200,000 to 300,000 homes, but might only provide jobs for 50 people.

Nevertheless, data centers form the core of the digital economy, relying on conventional ones as their base. This, in turn, draws funding for advanced data centers.

The authorities must develop effective resource management strategies and legislation to guarantee equitable water distribution and stop such facilities from being established in rural and agricultural areas.

First and foremost, the government needs to put in more effort to develop a properly skilled workforce and talent pool.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).