Australia is in the middle of a rapid data center rollout. Warehouses full of computer servers that run the artificial intelligence (AI) tools society increasingly uses are being built at pace, and they draw heavily on essential resources.

Data centers need large amounts of electricity, water and land. Without the right planning and oversight, developers will secure what they need at the expense of Australia’s economy, nature and communities.

Without careful design, data centers could increase power bills, put pressure on water supplies, and slow the transition to net zero. With it, they can do the opposite, stabilizing the electricity grid, attracting investment to regions, and creating economic growth.

It’s tempting to think futuristic technologies could make these problems disappear — things like putting data centers underwater or in space. These may eventually matter, but for now they are small-scale experiments, a long way from being able to absorb the gigawatts of demand Australia needs to plan for over the coming decade.

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