Will Australia be caught up in the AI ​​and data center boom?

At the corner of Mamre Road and the yet-to-be-built South Link Road, in the western Sydney suburb of Kemps Creek, plans are underway that could change the way the world works.

Here, in this picturesque semi-rural area wedged between Sydney’s fast-growing suburbs and the new international airport at Badgerys Creek, the AI ​​boom has landed in Australia with a thud.

If the site’s owner, IFM Investors, can allay residents’ concerns, the 52-acre site will be home to one of the world’s largest data centers, to be built and operated by US-based Airtrunk for more than $5 billion.

With six four-story buildings, 936 refrigeration units, 852 diesel-powered backup generators and a massive diesel storage facility, operator Airtrunk hopes to capitalize on the rush to AI and Australia’s potential role as a regional powerhouse.

Outside the US, Australia has…