Experts cut through the data center debate: 'We are fumbling in the dark'

There is one major caveat that casts a shadow over virtually every aspect of the intense debate about energy-intensive data centers in Denmark.

We don't know very much.

This is pointed out by Brit Ross Winthereik, who – with that caveat in mind – is considered one of those who knows the most about how technology and its infrastructure are currently weaving into our world and daily lives.

> It is not reasonable that we as a country have a very large pressure on our green transition if we cannot be told whether these resources are to be used for cat videos.

She is a professor at DTU and researches human interaction with digital technologies. DR has asked her if she can say anything about how large and necessary the need for data center capacity is in Denmark.

- That is a really, really difficult question, comes the answer.

- Because right now we actually don't know what the capacity we have is being used for, points out Brit Ross Winthereik.

Without more transparency about what the data centers are used for, the industry cannot claim to be critical infrastructure, believes Brit Ross Winthereik. (© Press photo)

Part of the challenge is that technology is developing so fast that it is more difficult than usual to predict the future. But the problem is especially that what the data centers contain is considered trade secrets, she explains.

- Which customers use them, what is on the servers, and which language models are being made and so on – that is something the operators do not share, says Brit Ross Winthereik.

This leads her to conclude that neither the public nor the government, which is currently in the process of laying out a strategy for data centers in Denmark, has very much to go on.

- We are fumbling in the dark regarding knowing what the need is, says Brit Ross Winthereik.

This data center, which is being expanded, is located near Køge and belongs to Microsoft. According to Køge Municipality, when fully built out, it will double the entire municipality's electricity consumption.

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On the industry's terms

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Associate professor at the Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, Tobias Liebetrau, shares that view.

He has, among other things, researched digital sovereignty in Europe and points out that this applies not only to the data center industry specifically, but in connection with technology development in general.

- The industry clearly holds the greatest knowledge, so we see a knowledge asymmetry between the companies, which need to make money from this, and society at large, says Tobias Liebetrau.

This means that the discussion about, for example, the need for data centers in Denmark takes place on the industry's terms, he believes.

We are dependent on the tech companies' information and thereby also bound by what it is we gain insight into – both as researchers, the public, but also politically, points out Tobias Liebetrau. (© Press photo)

Nevertheless, he dares to assess that the need for data centers in Denmark will become greater. However, this depends on, for example, the development of technology, our future use of AI, and the framework for it.

- If one assumes that digital development continues at the same pace we have seen so far, the need for data center capacity will presumably continue to rise – and presumably quite a lot, he says.

But one should note that this is based on assumptions, he emphasizes.

There are many unknowns, and it will be crucial who decides what in the future, he stresses:

- This is something we as a society must take a position on, and something that will of course also be influenced by a general development in the world and in Europe.

> It takes a few years to build a data center and get it connected to the grid. Already by then, demand may look different.

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Yes or no

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While the tech industry, parts of the business sector, and several European voices argue for building more data centers in Denmark, and the concrete plans meet resistance around the country, there is a need for a nuanced conversation about data centers and their function.

This is the view of Anders Søgaard, who is a professor at the University of Copenhagen and part of the research consortium CAISA – National Center for AI in Society.

Data centers are different, points out Anders Søgaard. Therefore, they can also be used for different things, and therefore it does not make sense to simply be for or against data centers, he believes. (Photo: © Alexander Banck-Petersen)

Nuanced is the key word here. Because it quickly becomes a simplified discussion for and against technology, yes or no to data centers, notes Anders Søgaard, who lists the questions:

- What kind of data centers do we want? How should they be connected to the grid? How should they pay back to the surrounding communities? What are the climate requirements for these data centers? But also: What kind of demand and usage patterns should they support? And how will we distribute access to them?

Without that clarification, he does not believe it is a meaningful exercise to try to estimate the demand for data center capacity.

Furthermore, the development – as Brit Ross Winthereik also points out – is, according to Anders Søgaard, moving so fast that the data centers and the chips many of them contain quickly become obsolete.

- It may take a few years to build a data center and get it connected to the grid, and already by then, demand may look different, he says.

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Cat videos and critical infrastructure

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Director of the industry association Datacenter Industrien, Henrik Hansen, has previously emphasized to DR the need for more data centers, but acknowledged that there is a need for more transparency about what goes on in the data centers.

And without that, the data centers cannot claim to be critical infrastructure, believes Brit Ross Winthereik.

If you ask the industry association Datacenter Industrien, more data centers should be built in Denmark. Here, director Henrik Hansen explains why.

- Especially, there is a need for transparency regarding what their product actually is, she says.

- Because it is not reasonable that we as a country have a very large pressure on our electricity grid and on our green transition if we cannot at the same time be told whether these resources are to be used for cat videos and entertainment – that is not critical infrastructure, she continues.

Conversely, one could say that we can see that these services are in demand..?

- We cannot conclude that because everyone has jumped on ChatGPT, there is a need for that type of service. Moreover, that is also not the type of artificial intelligence solutions that companies are demanding.

- We need to find out much more about what is good use of our energy and what is not necessary, believes Brit Ross Winthereik.

Data centers have been placed at the back of the queue to be connected to the electricity grid with the new prioritization model in the government's emergency plan for the electricity grid, and it is expected that Minister for Business and Competitiveness Martin Lidegaard (R) will present a data center strategy before the new year.

© Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

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Data center – what is it?

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A data center houses computer servers that process and store large amounts of data.

They can range from small server rooms to enormous building complexes with advanced cooling systems, power supply, and network security, which must ensure that the data is available at all times.

Traditionally, data centers have, for example, supported websites, email, and IT systems, but today they are also built to train and run artificial intelligence.

Each of us draws on data centers when we, for example:

* Stream music or series

* Send emails

* Pay with cards in stores and online

* Save photos and documents in the cloud

* Use AI models to answer questions, perform tasks, and generate images

Sources: International Energy Agency, New York Times, BBC, CNN, CAISA – The National Center for AI in Society, Datacenter Industrien

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.