Powering the digital age

To keep pace with the demand for AI-related services, data centre developers have a number of hurdles to clear, not least of all educating the public about what a data centre does.

New research released by Censuswide this week shows that although Britons would generally accept data centre development near them, many have little understanding of what they do. The danger, as one developer pointed out, is that “misconceptions ultimately lead to mistrust.” Without building up a general understanding of how your project works or the benefits it can bring, audiences can become vulnerable to disinformation. A data centre in Iver, for instance, was infamously rejected by Buckinghamshire Council last year due to its negative visual impact and to prevent ‘urban sprawl’ despite the project being planned on a former landfill directly adjacent to the M25.

It is not uncommon for public support for infrastructure and energy developments to present as high when the project is hypothetical and then drop sharply during the consultation and construction phase. This is where audiences need to understand both the technology behind a development and the benefits it can provide, to avoid the spread of mistruths. Research shows that support generally rises after development is completed.

One of the key takeouts from the Censuswide research was that the UK public demonstrated a ‘disconnect’ between what data centres do and the digital services they deliver. Fewer than half of respondents (45%) correctly identified data centres as playing a role in powering digital applications and social media platforms. Data centres, which consist of many computer systems, store and process data from organisations, enable cloud technology, and can cope with the massive hardware demands of AI. Considering the critical service and economic benefits they provide, the case for their development is strong.

The industry’s keenness to keep quiet on data centres, mostly for security reasons, has contributed to a salience problem among the public. But now, with strong demand, government backing, and tens of billions of pounds flowing into the sector, hyper-scale growth will soon be a reality for many communities around the UK. To meet the growing demand for data centres, developers must be more open and willing to share to get the public’s backing. Public engagement on projects during consultation for instance, should include explanations of how data centres function, what customers would use a data centre for, and how their use serves an average-internet user. Winning public trust means being open on data centres — explaining what they do and why they matter.