Power Shifts: Data Centres, Diplomatic Tensions and the Energy in Between

We are living in an era defined by a new kind of power shift. It’s not only measured in borders and markets but in Gigawatts and Gigaflops.

Every line of code generated and every industrial process optimised by Artificial Intelligence is tethered to a physical reality: the Data Centre. These silent, humming monoliths have become the new cathedrals of the 21st century, and their appetite is unprecedented. How on earth are we going to be able to create and sustain the power demand of AI?

But this isn't just a technical challenge; it’s a diplomatic powder keg. With the Strait of Hormuz slowly recovering from a blockade and the global energy market reeling from price hikes, we have entered a world of energy realism.

Furthermore, is the machine a monster that will break our grids and stall the transition? Or is it the only navigator capable of steering us through the complexities of a changing climate and the demands of a green transition?

Joining the host ,Tom Parker, is José Manuel Durão Barroso, Prime Minister of Portugal from 2002 to 2004 and European Commission President from 2004-2014, alongside Mo Gawdat, a software engineer, entrepreneur, author, podcaster, public speaker and former Chief Business Officer at Google X, and Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of EDP, a global energy company.

This episode was recorded on July 8th in front of a live audience at EDP Headquarters, LIsbon.

Sources: FT Resources, IEA, CNN, Brookings, CNBC, Fortune, Microsoft, CREA.

This content is paid for by EDP and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. The views and claims expressed are those of the guests alone and have not been independently verified by The Financial Times.

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