Vancouver's AI data centres face sustainability questions
Telus faces environmental backlash as 750 protesters rally against impacts of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Plans by Telus to build artificial intelligence data centres in Vancouver are drawing scrutiny over their environmental impact. Two facilities—one under construction in Mount Pleasant and one planned downtown—are part of Telus' $1 billion AI Factory project to provide Canadian-owned computing power for the industry.
The project has sparked a global backlash against AI over the electricity demands of data centres. A group calling itself No AI Data Centres in Vancouver led a protest on May 23 that drew approximately 750 people chanting "Use Your Brain" to express frustration over the technology's broader implications.
Westbank, the developer building the facilities for Telus, promises the centres will "set a new standard" for sustainability. The company also operates an existing data centre in Kamloops.
The backlash reflects growing concern about AI's energy consumption compared to massive infrastructure in the United States that consumes enough electricity to power major cities. Protesters also raised concerns about threats to jobs and creative industries.