Every time you ask ChatGPT a question, stream a film, save a photo to the cloud or join a video call, a data centre helps make it happen.
But what happens when one of those facilities is planned for your community?
In Cardiff, there is a proposal to turn a hospital park and ride site into a new data centre campus. Supporters say projects like this could bring jobs, investment and help power the UK’s AI boom. Critics worry about transport, noise, energy use and the impact on their community.
As demand for AI grows, more data centres are being planned across the UK. So where should they be built, who benefits, and what are the trade-offs?
In this episode:
00:00 – Everything you need to know about the park and ride
01:30 – Wales largest hospital
02:00 – Reaction from local residents
03:50 – Looking into the planning documents
04:36 – Data centres… what are they and do we need them?
06:35 – ‘Critical National Infrastructure’
07:26 – Back at the park and ride
08:00 – Plans for more data centres across the UK
09:48 – The view from the tech industry
10:46 – The American example with Nathalie Jimenez
14:38 – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez examines the drinking water in Morgan County Georgia
15:34 – Water usage in the UK
16:15 – The noise from a data centre
19:00 – Friends of the Earth call for a pause on building data centres
19:50 – Summary
21:20 – Statements from the Cardiff Council, Welsh Government & the UK Government.
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