[DigitalToday reporter Jae-won Choi] Data centres are becoming more important as AI spreads, but only about half of Britons know the concept of the facilities, a survey showed. Awareness has risen, but negative perceptions over issues such as power consumption have grown.

An IT outlet, TechRadar, reported on Sept. 8 local time that a survey by data centre operator Telehouse found 52 percent of Britons said they "know the term data centre." That was up 12 percentage points from 40 percent in 2024. But 59 percent of respondents said they "do not really know what a data centre is and what role it plays." The report said a wide gap remains between awareness and actual understanding.

Public perceptions also worsened. The share who said data centres have a positive impact on digital services used at home and at work fell to 37 percent this year from 48 percent two years ago. Those who said they have a negative impact rose to 15 percent from 4 percent over the same period.

The biggest concern was electricity use. Some 56 percent of respondents said they "worry about the huge amount of electricity used by data centre complexes." The report attributed this to large-scale data centre construction increasing alongside the expansion of AI services, making pressure on power grids and the environment a social issue.

The British government designated data centres as national critical infrastructure (CNI) in 2024, alongside energy and water. The aim was to strengthen government protection in crisis situations such as cyberattacks or power outages. At the time, Technology Minister Peter Kyle (피터 카일) stressed that data centres are the engine of modern life.

Mark Pestridge (마크 페스트리지), head of Telehouse Europe, said the industry needs to explain the facilities' necessity and social value more transparently. AI use is rising quickly, but understanding of the physical infrastructure that supports it is lagging, which could increase local opposition and scrutiny around data centres, the report said.