- The survey shows that many people still lack key knowledge about what data centers are and what they do
- 89% of UK adults were unaware of data centers and many were concerned about the environmental impacts
- But attitudes are still being formed and may change in the coming years
New research has found that despite their growing importance in everyday life (and increasing presence in global headlines), many of us don’t really know what data centers do.
A report by SEC Newgate found that 89% of UK adults did not know about data centers – and 14% said they had never heard of them at all, showing a widespread knowledge gap around the facilities.
This is despite growing concern over data centers across the globe, primarily regarding the environmental impact new facilities have, particularly in terms of power and water consumption.
Data center knowledge gap
Perhaps most worryingly, SEC Newgate’s findings included a survey of more than 1,500 members of the UK public, along with a separate survey of nearly 500 councillors, showing an alarming lack of knowledge among those making key local decisions.
For those familiar with data centers, their link to AI was the most important factor – with three-quarters of respondents believing data centers were expanding due to excessive demand for the technology.
Support for new data centers also proved somewhat conditional, suggesting that many members of the public are still undecided.
The survey found that when respondents were provided with factual information explaining what data centers do, how they work and why they are needed, attitudes changed enormously, with positive sentiment rising from just over a third to more than six in ten (from 35% to 61%), support for building new data centers increased (from 54% to 73%), and 7 almost eight in class decision-making fell to government decision-making (from 54 % to 73%) Critical National Infrastructure.
But as with the global focus on the demands of new data centers, the report showed growing concerns about the facilities.
Two-thirds (67%) of respondents said they believe data centers use too much power, while many also expressed concerns about pressure on water resources (55%) and cyber security risks (66%).
Overall, 60% said they would accept more data centers being built in their local area as they are essential to the country’s future growth – however four in ten (40%) say they would not – even when the national benefits are made explicit.
“Data centers are now critical national infrastructure, but this research shows that we have not built a common public understanding of what they are, why they matter, or how they fit into everyday life,” said Leyla Hart-Svensson, Executive Director, Insight & Intelligence, SEC Newgate.
“That gap is significant at a moment when the UK is making big decisions about digital growth, because trust and consent are not automatic – they have to be earned. What we are seeing is not a public opposed to data centres, but a public whose views are still being formed, and increasingly shaped by, wider concerns about technology and artificial intelligence, as they are no longer mutually exclusive in the data center in the data centre. of debates about energy, trust and the future of the digital economy, how these debates are framed now, will shape acceptance for years to come.
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