Musk, Zuckerberg Urge G20 Ministers to Support More AI Data Centres
Tech Leaders Warn That the Rapid Expansion of Artificial Intelligence Will Require Massive Increases in Electricity, Infrastructure and Skilled Workers
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have urged G20 policymakers to support the rapid expansion of infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence. Speaking virtually at a G20 technology ministers’ meeting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the two technology executives highlighted the growing demand for data centres as companies race to develop increasingly powerful AI systems.
Zuckerberg focused on the workforce challenge created by the enormous scale of data-centre construction. He said the industry could require hundreds of thousands, and potentially millions, of skilled workers to build and maintain the facilities needed to support the next generation of AI. The expansion is expected to create demand across construction, engineering, electrical work and other specialised fields.
Musk, meanwhile, warned that electricity could become one of the biggest limitations on AI development. He argued that the rapid growth of AI data centres and computing infrastructure is creating an urgent need for additional power-generation capacity. Musk said a significant power shortage could emerge as early as next year if electricity production does not keep pace with the industry’s rapidly increasing requirements.
The comments came during wider discussions about how governments should approach artificial intelligence. The United States has been advocating a relatively light-touch regulatory approach, arguing that excessive regulation could slow technological development and reduce competitiveness. Musk has also criticised European technology regulations, while other industry leaders have called for policies that encourage innovation while addressing genuine safety concerns.
The growing demand for AI infrastructure is therefore becoming an issue that extends far beyond the technology sector. Companies will need access to reliable electricity, advanced computing equipment, suitable locations and large numbers of skilled workers if the expansion is to continue at its current pace. Musk and Zuckerberg’s remarks underline the scale of the infrastructure challenge facing the global AI industry as governments and businesses prepare for a future in which artificial intelligence plays an increasingly important role in the economy.
