China trials underwater data centres to solve energy woes

China is set to launch one of the world’s first commercial underwater data centres. Located in waters off Shanghai, the facilities will serve a range of clients, including China Telecom and a state-owned artificial intelligence (AI) computing company. The project is part of a broader government push to lower the carbon footprint of data centres. AI-driven demand for computing power has led to a surge in centres as well as demand for energy to run and cool the machines.