Is datacentre sovereignty really that important?
a day ago
- Latency is not a significant issue for most AI use cases; model response times are orders of magnitude higher than network round-trip delays.
- Tax revenue from datacentres is a rounding error in the UK economy, and high electricity costs make them unattractive.
- Datacentres create few permanent jobs, and construction jobs are temporary; most capital expenditure goes overseas.
- Arguments for control are flawed: location doesn't guarantee priority access, models can be remotely wiped, and seizure is impractical due to rapid obsolescence.
- The UK should focus on its strengths: attracting AI talent, research, and tech funding rather than building massive datacentres.