Four Steps Australia Must Take to Secure Part of the AI Data Centre Boom
Australian Financial Review
ENRICHED
Details
- Date Published
- 2 Mar 2026
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 2 Mar 2026, 12:00 pm
Description
We need to sharply define Australia’s place in the global AI landscape: the sectors we’ll target, the capabilities we’ll build and the skills to grow.
Summary
The article emphasizes Australia's need to strategically position itself within the global AI landscape by targeting specific sectors, building capabilities, and developing relevant skills. In light of significant investments by major global cloud and AI companies, it highlights the opportunity for Australia to tap into the increasing demand for hyperscale data centers in Asia. This is particularly relevant for Australia's economic growth and alignment with global AI trends. While the article discusses Australia's positioning, it lacks deep analysis on existential or catastrophic AI risks or specific safety measures, focusing instead on economic opportunities.
Body
TechnologyBusiness SummitPrint articleMar 2, 2026 – 12.00pmCan Australia grab its share of the global artificial intelligence moment? I’ve just returned from two weeks in the United States meeting leaders of the world’s major cloud and AI companies. These hyperscalers are preparing to spend close to US$700 billion ($990 billion) in capital expenditure this year, yet the US market is now so constrained they’re seeing Asia as the next wave of growth.In the last quarter alone, gigawatts of hyperscale demand were contracted to the region. To put that in context, a gigawatt costs roughly US$12 billion to US$14 billion to build, and that excludes land, GPUs and the renewable infrastructure needed to power it. In other words, it’s a Snowy Hydro 2.0– sized investment, and that’s every quarter, which is only going to grow!Loading...Robin Khuda is founder and chief executive of AirTrunk.SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleFollow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out moreRead MoreBusiness SummitOpinionAIData centresData Centre Gold RushRobin KhudaFetching latest articles