North America’s data centre construction has soared by 70% compared to last year, with a record 3.9 gigawatts now under development, according to a recent CBRE Group report. This surge reflects the increasing demand for power-intensive data centres, driven by major technology companies expanding their artificial intelligence and cloud computing operations.
In the first half of 2024, over 500 megawatts of new data centres were introduced across the eight largest markets in the United States and Canada, equivalent to the entire capacity of Silicon Valley. New data centre inventory expanded by 10% during this period, representing a 23% increase from the previous year.
As new inventory rose, vacancy rates dropped to a historic low of 2.8%, with prices for newer data centres typically higher due to their advanced infrastructure. Older centres are unable to meet the growing power demands, further driving the pricing gap.
Smaller markets such as Northern Indiana, Idaho, Arkansas, and Kansas are expected to become more attractive as demand for modern facilities continues to rise.
The European Union is deepening its involvement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a particular focus on digital transformation. Ursula von der Leyen, recently re-elected as European Commission president, has outlined plans to establish a portfolio dedicated to the Mediterranean, which will address investment, partnerships, and economic stability. This initiative follows significant financial support for countries like Egypt and Lebanon, aiming to stabilise these nations and bolster EU-MENA relations through the Southern Neighbourhood partnership.
A key element of the EU’s strategy is advancing digital infrastructure across the region. Projects like the MEDUSA Submarine Cable, which aims to connect several MENA countries with high-speed internet, exemplify Europe’s commitment to digital development. With over 4.5 million students expected to benefit from increased connectivity, the EU is prioritising educational and economic growth in the region. However, significant digital divides still exist, particularly between urban and rural areas and along gender lines, underscoring the need for expanded efforts.
Europe’s digital investments are expected to yield considerable benefits, including access to a skilled ICT workforce and strengthened political influence in the region. By supporting digital transformation, the EU aims to stabilise the MENA region economically, reduce irregular migration, and counter external influences such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Furthermore, digital advancements are seen as crucial in enhancing climate resilience, particularly through technologies like smart grids.
To fully realise these goals, the EU must expand its digital programmes and improve coordination with Southern Neighbourhood countries. Initiatives focusing on digital skills, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure need broader implementation to ensure inclusive growth. Enhanced data analysis and reporting on digital development are also essential for effectively targeting resources and measuring progress. The EU’s commitment to integrating digital elements into its broader strategy for the Mediterranean could serve as a blueprint for future cooperation in the region.
Researchers at the University of Auckland’s Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand have used machine learning to delve into athletic recovery. They tracked 43 endurance athletes, gathering extensive data on sleep, diet, heart-rate variability, and workout routines. The study revealed that while certain factors like sleep quality and muscle soreness broadly influence recovery, the most effective predictors vary from person to person.
For instance, sleep data might be a strong indicator for one athlete, while for another, protein intake and muscle soreness could be more relevant. A simpler model using just a few variables performed nearly as well as more complex ones, emphasising that not all factors are equally important for every athlete. However, the effectiveness of predictions significantly improved when tailored to individual data.
The study also examined heart-rate variability (HRV) but found that predicting HRV changes based on controllable factors, like training load and diet, proved challenging. Although HRV is often used as a gauge for readiness to train, the researchers concluded that its predictive value might be limited.
Ultimately, the research underscores the importance of personalised recovery strategies. While broad patterns exist, the best approach to recovery seems to hinge on understanding the unique factors that impact each athlete individually.
Plans to introduce AI-powered textbooks in South Korean classrooms have sparked concerns among parents. The government aims to roll out tablets with these advanced textbooks next year, with the goal of using them across all subjects by 2028, excluding music, art, physical education, and ethics. The AI textbooks will be designed to adapt to different learning speeds, and teachers will monitor student progress through dashboards.
However, many parents are uneasy about the impact of this new technology on their children’s well-being. Over 50,000 have signed a petition urging the government to prioritise overall student health rather than focusing solely on technological advancements. They argue that excessive exposure to digital devices is already causing unprecedented issues.
One concerned parent, Lee Sun-youn, highlighted worries about the potential negative effects on children’s brain development and concentration. She pointed out that students in South Korea are already heavily reliant on smartphones and tablets, and increased screen time in classrooms could exacerbate these problems.
The government has yet to provide detailed information on how the AI textbook program will be implemented. As the rollout approaches, the debate over the balance between technology and student welfare continues to intensify.
The UNCTAD (UN Trade & Development) published the Digital Economy Report 2024, which highlights the urgent need for sustainable and inclusive strategies in digitalisation. As the digital economy expands, its environmental toll grows significantly, with the production and disposal of devices contributing to rising energy consumption and digital waste. Developing countries bear the brunt of these environmental costs while gaining fewer benefits, often exporting raw materials and importing digital waste, exacerbating their ecological and economic vulnerabilities.
The UNCTAD report emphasises the critical need for a global shift towards a circular digital economy. It calls for durable product designs, responsible consumption, and sustainable business models prioritising recycling and reuse. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action from policymakers, industry leaders, and consumers to curb the environmental impact and ensure that the benefits of digitalisation are shared equitably across the globe.
The report urges international cooperation to achieve this, particularly in managing critical minerals essential for digital technologies. It highlights the importance of balancing economic opportunities with environmental and social responsibilities, ensuring that developing countries are not left behind in the digital era but are instead empowered to advance sustainably.
SK Telecom and Nokia have announced a strategic partnership to implement AI-driven fibre sensing technology to enhance network reliability in South Korea. The collaboration, formalised through a memorandum of understanding, plans to roll out the innovative technology across SK Telecom’s national fixed network by the end of 2024.
The primary goal is proactively monitoring and detecting environmental changes that could impact optical cables, addressing issues before they escalate into significant disruptions. The fibre sensing technology will utilise advanced AI and machine learning techniques to monitor various environmental factors, including earthquakes, climate fluctuations, and disruptions from nearby construction activities. By continuously analysing data from SK Telecom’s commercial networks, the system aims to identify potential threats to network stability early on.
The proactive approach is designed to minimise damage from line breaks and prevent service interruptions, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for customers. The integration of these advanced technologies allows for real-time monitoring and analysis, which is crucial for maintaining the resilience of network infrastructure. Ryu Jeong-hwan, Head of Infrastructure Strategy Technology at SK Telecom, emphasised the importance of this collaboration in accelerating the adoption of AI technologies.
He noted that this partnership prepares SK Telecom for the evolving AI landscape, positioning it as a leader in innovative network solutions. Similarly, John Harrington, President of Nokia Asia Pacific, expressed enthusiasm about integrating Nokia’s sensing technology into automated networks, highlighting their commitment to providing stable services by proactively addressing potential issues.
A decentralised blockchain and AI startup, Sahara AI, has successfully raised $43 million in a Series A funding round. The round saw significant backing from prominent investors including Pantera Capital, Binance Labs, and Polychain Capital. Samsung NEXT also joined the funding alongside Matrix Partners, dao5, and Geekcartel.
The funds will be utilised to expand Sahara AI’s global team, improve the platform’s performance, and grow its developer ecosystem. By leveraging its decentralised platform, Sahara AI aims to reward users, data sources, and AI trainers, rather than just the companies that create AI models. The company’s approach is seen as a shift from the traditional model, promoting transparency and fair compensation.
Founded in April 2023, Sahara AI has already partnered with leading tech firms such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Snap. These collaborations highlight the startup’s rapid growth and the increasing interest in its unique decentralised approach to AI.
As the use of AI continues to rise, concerns around data privacy, copyright, and ethical issues have become more pronounced. Sahara AI’s approach seeks to address these challenges by ensuring transparency and fairness in how AI models are developed and utilised.
Singapore’s National University Health System (NUHS) is leveraging advanced AI technologies to enhance efficiency and reduce administrative workloads in healthcare. Through the RUSSELL-GPT platform, which integrates large language models (LLMs) via Amazon Web Services (AWS) Bedrock, over a thousand clinicians now benefit from automated tasks such as drafting referrals and summarising patient data, reducing administrative time by 40%.
The NUHS team is working on event-driven Generative AI models that can perform tasks automatically when triggered by specific events, such as drafting discharge letters without needing any prompts. This approach aims to streamline processes further and reduce the administrative burden on healthcare staff.
Ensuring patient data security is a top priority for NUHS, with robust measures in place to keep data within Singapore and comply with local privacy laws. RUSSELL-GPT also includes features to mitigate the risks of AI hallucinations, with mandatory training for users on recognising and managing such occurrences.
Despite the promise of LLMs, NUHS acknowledges that these models are not a cure-all. Classical AI still plays a critical role in tasks like clustering information and providing predictive insights, underlining the need for a balanced use of it in healthcare.
Global banks are beginning to revive technology projects that were paused in 2023, offering renewed hope for the $254 billion Indian IT sector. The industry, which earns a significant portion of its revenue from banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) clients, had been experiencing reduced demand for six quarters following the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.
Recent quarterly reports from major Indian IT firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Wipro indicate a modest recovery in BFSI client demand. Industry leaders believe that interest rate cuts by central banks and the resolution of US election-related uncertainties could further boost client confidence and spending on technology services.
Top US banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, have already begun increasing their technology budgets. These investments are directed towards improving regulatory compliance, enhancing customer experiences, and upgrading infrastructure through cloud migration. The focus on technology, including generative AI, highlights a shift in strategic priorities among BFSI clients, aiming to enhance operational efficiency.
However, some analysts remain cautious, noting that while the resurgence in tech spending is promising, it may be too early to declare a full recovery. Any resurgence in recession fears could dampen client sentiment and slow the momentum seen in recent months.
US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has assured that the country will be able to meet the growing electricity demands driven by the rapid expansion of data centres powering AI. The Department of Energy anticipates that electricity demand will double by midcentury due to factors such as manufacturing growth, electrification of vehicles, and AI development. Despite concerns from local communities about the strain on resources, Granholm remains confident that clean energy sources will be sufficient to handle this increased demand, bolstered by significant investments under recent legislation.
Granholm highlighted the strong growth in renewable energy investments, predicting the deployment of over 60 gigawatts of clean energy and storage capacity this year alone. However, she acknowledged the immediate challenge of building transmission lines to connect data centers to these clean power sources. The Department of Energy is working to expedite the permitting process for such projects, with public and private investments playing a key role in expanding infrastructure.
The growth of AI has put many renewable energy goals to a test. Collaborations between tech giants such as Google and energy departments are emerging as a solution to meet the surging demand. For example, a recent partnership in Virginia between Iron Mountain and the state’s energy department will introduce large-scale batteries to store renewable energy for data centers. Granholm suggested that such initiatives could turn the demand from data centers into a catalyst for further investment in renewable energy.
The United States DOE is also researching ways to improve efficiency in data centers, aiming to help tech companies increase computing power while managing energy consumption. Granholm, after recent meetings with tech and utility leaders, hinted at upcoming major announcements that would reinforce America’s leadership in technology and innovation.
