By Angus Dowell
Publication Date: 2026-05-06 00:20:00
Across the world, the boom in artificial intelligence is leading to a parallel race by major technology companies to secure the physical infrastructure that enables it.
That race has now reached New Zealand, with Singapore-based Datagrid moving forward with plans to open the country’s first “AI factory” near Invercargill.
The size of this large data center, designed to power power-hungry global AI systems, is significant – both due to its 78,000 square meter size and its multi-billion dollar cost.
It is not the only major investment by global players. Just last year, Amazon Web Services announced plans for a major new cluster of data centers in Auckland, representing a NZ$7.5 billion investment in New Zealand’s digital infrastructure.
For smaller countries like New Zealand, projects like these are often presented as successes – bringing jobs, investment and a path into the global AI economy.
But they also bring with them less visible consequences, many of which…
