In brief
BBC journalist Laura Bicker visits Inner Mongolia’s remote data‑centre sites, where vast engine rooms run the servers powering China’s AI ambitions. The article explains how the Chinese focus on cheap, low‑temperature locations and massive power supplies contrasts with U.S. industry debates over privacy and security. With leaders Xi Jinping and Donald Trump slated to meet in Washington later this week, the piece offers context on the differing attitudes between the two nations toward data‑centre construction and AI policy.
BBC journalist Laura Bicker ventures into Inner Mongolia, where dozens of China’s data‑centre engine rooms are being built to spearhead the country’s artificial intelligence ambitions.
The remote locations—often in wintery, sparsely populated areas—provide natural cooling and an abundant supply of renewable energy, allowing huge server farms to operate at lower costs. The engine rooms are expansive, with rows of racks and massive cooling towers that keep the equipment running when the temperature drops to below 0 °C.
China’s approach contrasts with U.S. attitudes, where privacy, data sovereignty, and regulatory scrutiny dominate discussions around data‑centre construction. While Beijing invests billions in infrastructure to secure a lead in global AI, the U.S. industry emphasises data security and consumer rights, creating divergent expectations on how these facilities will be governed.
With Xi Jinping and Donald Trump scheduled to meet in Washington later this week, Bicker’s report offers insight into the geopolitical backdrop shaping the AI race and the role of data‑centres in that competition.
