Aisha Mbundu

China AI ambitions: Massive data centre expansion

China AI ambitions are manifesting in the rapid, large-scale construction of data centres across its northern and south-western provinces. This infrastructure surge aims to support the government's mission to integrate artificial intelligence into 90% of industries and society by 2030. As the United States and China engage in a high-stakes technological contest, Beijing is leveraging vast land, renewable energy, and a growing pool of domestic talent to secure its digital sovereignty. This article examines the scale of this infrastructure rollout, the strategic shift toward open-source models, and the geopolitical tensions defining the AI era.