Countries are scrambling to position themselves in the global AI race, but the emergence of a new NIMBY movement poses a political challenge for the Albanese government.
Tech investors have urged Australia to position itself as a hub for data centres. Its abundant resources and proximity to Southeast Asia, the world’s fastest-growing region, make it a logical next step.
But pushback against the rapid AI boom, and the infrastructure needed to power it, is hardening into a new frontier for populism.
As Labor tries to expand data centre investment in Australia, both ends of the political divide are scrambling to portray the government as a friend of the big end of town.
