China is preparing to sink its first commercial underwater data centre off the coast of Shanghai this October, sparking fears that the world’s oceans could soon become the dumping ground for Big Tech’s energy obsession.
While Chinese officials boast about “energy savings” and “green innovation,” critics warn this experiment could unleash catastrophic consequences for marine life, climate stability, and even global security.
On a wharf in Nantong, workers are assembling a massive yellow capsule that will house servers for state-backed companies like China Telecom and an artificial intelligence firm. Once submerged, ocean currents will keep the servers cool, reducing the need for traditional power-hungry air conditioning. Developers claim the technology will slash cooling energy use by up to 90 percent.
But beneath the corporate slogans and government subsidies lies a terrifying truth: humanity has no idea what flooding the seas with artificial heat and electromagnetic signals will do to fragile ecosystems.
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