Over twenty AI-driven data centres are planned in Scotland as part of the global race to build such energy-sapping monoliths on a massive scale leading to looming planning battles.

An explosion in artificial intelligence in recent years has seen the Big Tech firms scrambling to build new "hyperscale" centres some ranking among the largest on the planet, the BBC reports.

If one planned for Chapelcross in Dumfries and Galloway goes ahead it will have a capacity of 1,000MW making it one of the biggest on the planet. More than 2,000 objections were lodged in just four days, reports Holyrood Connect.

Climate Targets Threatened

The Scottish Greens and campaign groups have called for a moratorium arguing such centres could undermine climate targets and place extra pressure on renewable energy supplies.

Industry sources told the BBC the UK Government plans to make Britain a "world leader" in AI but this could put already stretched supplies of drinking water under strain.

The Scottish Government has promised new national guidance before the year is out something which should help planners navigate such data centre applications.

AI Gatekeeper Calls

Such looming data centre anxieties come as Gartner reports industry spend is "jumping" 49.5 per cent in 2026. Analysts warn growth will continue at unprecedented levels until by 2030 with "every dollar spent will be an AI dollar".

This comes as Google announces it wants to be the "gatekeeper" for enterprise AI agents. Yet, as the Guardian reported: the tech leviathan admitted its Gemini AI model breached the security of three other companies last May.

Edinburgh's leading expert in rapid digital device assessment Cyacomb reminds us counter-terrorism comes into play. The company has released new capabilities designed to help law enforcement agencies rapidly identify terrorist authored material on digital devices and support faster action against extremists and radicalised individuals.

Raising Our Game

With all of the above filling our minds my "Thunderer" column in the London Times takes a step back to warn that as AI perils loom we humans must raise our game...

Glaswegian Sir Ken McCallum, MI5 Director General, said they are now devoting more resources towards countering state threats than during the Cold War with threats from foreign adversaries quadrupled during the last decade.