The US and China control more than 90% of the world's artificial intelligence data centers, creating a global technology gap

According to a study by the University of Oxford, specialized data processing centers for artificial intelligence (AI) are concentrated in only 32 countries, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, which accounts for only 16% of all countries in the world. At the same time, the United States and China manage more than 90% of such data centers, and together with the European Union they control more than half of the most powerful facilities in this area.

American technology giants, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, operate 87 large AI data centers worldwide, while Chinese companies manage 39 such facilities. European companies have only six such centers. Africa and South America are practically absent from the map of the location of these infrastructures.

This imbalance in the distribution of infrastructure for AI leads to serious inequalities in technology development, scientific research, and economic competitiveness. Many countries are forced to rent computing power abroad, which is associated with high costs, delays and legal restrictions. This limits access to cutting-edge technologies and reduces the diversity of ideas and innovations in the global AI community.

The growing demand for data centers, especially in the United States, where their number significantly exceeds that of China and European countries, is stimulating investment and infrastructure development. About 70% of all data centers are located in North America, and the largest markets are Germany, Great Britain and China. At the same time, the energy consumption of such centers is growing rapidly, which creates additional challenges for the energy industry.

Experts warn that without measures to expand access to computing resources and develop local infrastructure in lagging regions, the world risks splitting into technologically advanced leaders and countries that will remain in the shadow of the digital revolution. This will have an impact on the global economy, security, and scientific and technological progress in the coming decades.