AI data centres: the costliest infrastructure race in history?
AI data centres: the costliest infrastructure race in history? newspress_en Thu, 09/17/2026 - 05:40 Business & Economy From the outside, a data centre looks much like a vast industrial building: a warehouse surrounded by fences and security systems. What happens inside it, however, places it in an entirely different economic category. The walls may last for decades, but the servers, processors…
The article discusses the concept of AI data centres as the "costliest infrastructure race in history," with a focus on the recurring commitment to purchasing new processors and servers every four to six years. According to PwC's modelling by Oxford Economics, the data-centre sector could attract $31.6tn in cumulative capital expenditure between 2026 and 2050, with annual investment rising from $800bn in 2026 to $1.8tn in 2050.
The share of expenditure on buildings, infrastructure, power, and cooling systems declines over time, while information and communications technology equipment becomes the dominant cost component. The article highlights the inherent risk of this investment cycle, which depends on the rapid growth of AI-generated revenue to maintain a sufficient customer base.
Brief written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
