Shiona McCallum tries on a piece of wearable tech at VivaTech, one of Europe’s biggest technology shows, held in Paris. The gadget may be eye-catching, but it is the invisible infrastructure powering our digital lives that has drawn her to the sprawling event. Data centres – the vast server farms that underpin everything from streaming to banking – are central to modern life, she explains. But not everyone thinks they are great.
Speaking to the head of a major global data centre company, McCallum explores the challenges facing an industry that has become both indispensable and controversial. The executive – unnamed in the programme – outlined some of the difficulties, from energy consumption to community opposition. As demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence surges, data centres are multiplying, yet they face growing scrutiny over their environmental impact and land use.
“BBC visits VivaTech in Paris, hears from a data centre chief about industry challenges amid growing backlash.”
The show in Paris, VivaTech, is a showcase for what could soon be in your home or workplace. But the backstage reality, argues the BBC presenter, is an industry grappling with its own success. The conversation with the company head hints at tensions that are likely to intensify: how to keep the world’s data flowing while satisfying critics who question the cost.
For now, the wearable tech on McCallum’s wrist is a sleek promise of tomorrow. The data centres that make it possible are a less glamorous but more urgent story – and one that is only just beginning to be told.