Data centres are the new front line and Europe’s AI factories should slow down, says UN adviser

Key Points:

• Data centres in Ukraine, Russia, and the Middle East have become strategic targets in conflicts, with attacks disrupting critical national infrastructure such as banks, hospitals, and military operations.
• Ukraine and Russia have recently targeted each other's data centres, aiming to undermine revenue streams and military capabilities, highlighting the increasing role of data centres in modern warfare, especially for AI-driven military uses.
• Mehdi Paryavi, a UN adviser and founder of the International Data Center Authority, emphasized that the military targeting of data centres should prompt Europe to reconsider the location and protection of its AI infrastructure, suggesting measures like building underground or protected facilities.
• The European Commission is currently evaluating proposals for up to seven AI gigafactories, but there is no clear indication yet that recent conflicts will alter these plans despite the high economic and security risks involved.
• Paryavi warned that the high costs and long construction times of data centres make them vulnerable assets, urging European countries to collaborate on building concentrated, well-protected data centre hubs to mitigate security and energy challenges.