As the race for artificial intelligence intensifies, tech developers in China are submerging data centers in the ocean to slash the cost of cooling.
The novel approach raises critical concerns about the long-term ecological impact on marine life.
Underwater data centers designed for intensive AI workloads are already operating off the coasts of Shanghai and Hainan, utilizing the ocean’s natural depth for passive cooling.
Because cooling typically consumes 40% to 50% of a conventional land-based facility’s energy, developers report that underwater submersion drops this figure below 10%. By bypassing energy-guzzling industrial chillers, these subsea modules drastically cut carbon footprints and conserve vital terrestrial resources.
However, this environmental shortcut comes with a severe catch.
The localized heat emitted by these massive submerged server clusters has environmentalists worried. Operating at a breakneck speed to win the global AI race, tech firms may be risking the creation of marine dead zones by introducing constant, unnatural warmth into fragile underwater ecosystems.
With the long-term biological consequences still unknown, the headlong rush to scale up computing power risks repeating historic mistakes of economic expansion at the direct expense of the planet’s biosphere.
source: TechRadar. (2026). China unveils ‘world’s first’ underwater data center. TechRadar.