The UK government has big plans to call the North East of England its next AI growth zone, with intentions to boost overall AI development in the country. This development has been welcomed by many as it’s set to support local communities, open up 5,000 new jobs, and create new AI-related careers, which will help facilitate breakthroughs in verticals such as healthcare, clean energy, and other cutting-edge industries.

When we look at broader AI growth plans, data centers, which are now considered critical national infrastructure, are under close scrutiny to support these ambitions. The government is planning to build around 100 data centers across the UK alone over the next few years, which is a huge undertaking and will pose substantial changes and challenges for the data center industry.

Infrastructure limitations are emerging

The AI explosion has created an overwhelming demand for resilient and scalable data center infrastructure to satisfy increasing capacity requirements. However, the push for quicker deployment introduces new risks. We need additional data centers to fuel these AI development zones, but the rate at which this infrastructure needs to be created is putting immense strain on the industry. Expediting data center design and construction could cause more harm than benefit in terms of nature, people, and capacity.

We can reduce this burden through early coordination, which brings operators, local governments, and suppliers all together from the beginning to speed up planning and the delivery processes. Smarter design ideas, such as modular construction and liquid cooling technologies, can also help speed up the process while maintaining both quality and sustainability.

We are increasingly seeing that energy demands are growing at an unprecedented rate. For example, the International Energy Agency’s special report ‘Energy and AI’ projects that electricity demand from data centers worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to around 945 terawatt-hours (TWh).

To put this into perspective, that usage is a little more than Japan’s current total electricity consumption. As the applications of AI increase, so will the carbon impact of the data centers that enable them. For these growth zones to become a success, they must be underpinned by robust sustainability measures, or else the UK risks jeopardizing its climate targets and losing its spot as a leader in the sustainable innovation space.

Other solutions, such as modular construction, improved cooling systems, and renewable energy sources, are now widely available in the market and made easily accessible for use. Data centers are making steady progress in these areas, with many hyperscalers now asking their commissioning teams to look into new liquid cooling technologies. Another way is to work with experts and experienced delivery teams who can help balance speed with sustainability, safety, and long-term resilience, making sure that faster progress does not come at the cost of the environment.

People as a strategic investment

A lot of attention is given to infrastructure, but there’s another piece of the puzzle that’s missing: the people. These AI growth zones will require enough energy, land, and money, but how do we make sure that there are enough individuals with relevant skills to deliver and manage the critical infrastructure that AI functions require? AI data centers need both robust infrastructure and teams who are qualified to stand the test of time and pressure when the government makes these growth zones a reality.

Energy needs to be directed towards upskilling and training those on the front line. Historically, the industry has faced a skills shortage of qualified operators, and providers have faced difficulties in hiring commissioning agents quickly enough. On top of this, training cycles that usually take months are now being compressed to a few days.

The next step is to call for better collaboration between operators, universities, and local governments to build a strong foundation of short courses, apprenticeships, and entry-level roles that help recruit people directly into data center operations and engineering positions.

Operators can learn from proven training models, as the discipline and continuous learning mindset found in the military. We’ve seen firsthand how veterans can apply existing skills as they transition into technical careers to operate in high-pressure data center environments. Nurturing talent from the ground up will ensure that these critical AI data centers are in the hands of people who understand the infrastructure inside and out, boosting their long-term durability.

AI growth zones are the cornerstone of the UK’s ambitions to become a global AI leader, but that is only possible if they are planned, deployed, and maintained on a foundation of resilient infrastructure and a talented workforce.

The developments in the North East have the potential to become the blueprint for all future AI initiatives – feeding the fire and the desire behind the UK’s growth targets, while exploring exciting opportunities for the local communities.