Listen: The data centre power play - AI, energy and Europe’s next move

Data centres are the backbone of the digital economy and the key to unlocking the full potential of AI.

Inside these unassuming warehouses, vast halls of servers quietly keep the world running: processing payments, safeguarding critical data, keeping hospitals online, and underpinning nearly every digital service we rely on.

But as AI accelerates and our appetite for data explodes, these centres are struggling to keep up with demand. At the same time, they’re consuming staggering amounts of energy and pushing power networks to their limits.

In response, the US and China are pouring vast sums into building bigger, more advanced data centres and securing the energy to power them - driving innovation that’s fuelling economic growth.

Europe, however, is lagging behind. And without bold action, the continent risks being left out of the next wave of AI-driven progress and prosperity.

In this week’s THINK Aloud, ING economists Diederik Stadig, Gerben Hieminga and Coco Zhang join editors Rebecca Byrne and Olivia Grace to explore what’s at stake for Europe, and what it will take to compete in the global race for data and AI leadership.