Macquarie's outgoing CEO says US pushback on data centers could send more AI computing work to Australia, which may shape the cost and supply of tools you use.
A top Australian banker says America's growing dislike of data centers could help his country. Macquarie Group's outgoing chief executive says the backlash seen in this week's US midterm elections may open the door for Australia to provide more computing capacity, according to Bloomberg Technology.
Data centers are large buildings full of computers. They power AI tools and many online services, from email to video calls. Macquarie Group is an Australian financial firm. The report says voters in the US showed pushback against data centers in this week's midterm elections.
Where these buildings get built can affect the cost and supply of the AI and cloud tools your business relies on. If the US makes it harder to build them, some of that work could move to other countries. Australia is the one named in this report.
The material available is a short summary, not the full article. It does not say what the CEO expects Australia to gain, how much capacity could move, or when. It does not explain what voters objected to. It also does not say whether any US projects have been stopped or delayed.
Data center locations are becoming a political issue, and that could eventually touch the price and supply of the cloud and AI tools you use.
Major environmental groups now use AI to study climate data and track fires, while warning that the data centers behind AI carry their own environmental cost.
Read more: Environmental groups use AI to fight climate change, despite its energy costReports say the Trump administration is weighing underwater datacenters off Maine and Alaska, and Lake Erie groups want a plan before anyone proposes one nearby.
Read more: Underwater datacenters may be next, and Lake Erie groups are worriedVoters in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, banned large data centers after a $900 million plan. Here is how a town of 6,600 did it, and what other places can learn.
Read more: Small Ohio town votes to ban a $900 million AI data center
