Queen calls for water, electricity use by data centres to be evaluated
Raja Zarith Sofiah cautions on the impact of these data centres on the environment and people's well-being.
The Queen of Malaysia, Raja Zarith Sofiah, has called for a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental and societal impacts of data centre development in the country. At the 70th Convocation Ceremony of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), she urged authorities, the private sector, and the public to consider the significant electricity and water consumption, land misuse, and the overall effects on society, including noise levels and lighting.
Queen Raja Zarith, also Chancellor of UTM, stressed that technological progress must be balanced with sustainability, highlighting that human activities have contributed to climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and natural resource depletion. She emphasized the crucial role of the educated community in addressing environmental degradation through greater awareness and responsibility towards preserving the planet for future generations.
Furthermore, the Queen stressed the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) not solely for economic gain, but to improve the quality of life for society. As the institution that established Malaysia's first Faculty of Artificial Intelligence, UTM has a significant responsibility to ensure that technological development remains guided by ethics, integrity, and human values.
The Queen reminded graduates that while AI presents significant opportunities, it also brings challenges, requiring continuous learning and adaptation to keep pace with rapid technological change.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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