# Everyone hates datacentres. Do we really need them?

An episode of [Science Weekly](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/136697669), 27 Aug 2026, 17 min.

Audio: https://flex.acast.com/audio.guim.co.uk/2026/08/26-63481-gnl.sci.20260827.jc.datacentres.mp3

AI companies have promised us world-shifting technology. But there’s a cost: loud, unsightly datacentres that drain environmental resources. As the government pushes their rapid growth, can local communities do anything to push back? Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s global technology reporter Aisha Down about the backlash to datacentres across the UK and around the world. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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