Your round-up of the latest, greatest data stories

Hello ODI Supporter,

A new report published this week by the International Energy Agency has projected that the worldwide demand for electricity from data centres is set to more than double by 2030. The surge in demand is fuelled by the rise of AI, which may also unlock opportunities to cut costs and reduce emissions. As such, the report states that fears that the adoption of AI will hamper efforts to tackle the climate crisis are ‘overstated’. This isn’t a view that is shared by everyone, with some critics claiming the IEA’s report paints too rosy a picture. Just this week, the EU revealed plans to spend €20bn on supercomputers and data centres in an effort to catch up with the US and China in the AI race, while research from Stanford suggests the gap is already closing. However, while the drain on energy production is already being felt, there are huge concerns around water use, with plans by big tech firms to build datacentres in water-scarce areas across five continents. Thankfully, somebody has come up with a much simpler alternative: launch the datacentres into space.   

News emerged this week that the UK government is developing a tool that analyses the personal data of people known to the authorities in an attempt to identify those who are most likely to become killers. The initiative was discovered via a Freedom of Information request by Statewatch, who claim that data from people who have not been convicted of any criminal offence will be used in the project, including personal information concerning self-harm and domestic abuse. While officials deny this claim and insist only data from people with at least one criminal conviction will be used, Statewatch points to a data-sharing agreement between the Ministry of Justice and Greater Manchester Police as evidence that information from innocent people who have sought help from the police will be used. The tool has been described as ‘chilling’ and ‘dystopian’, while the source of the data will reinforce bias towards racialised and low-income communities. 

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is set to revamp its Labour Force Survey after coming under fire for the way it gathers data, which prompted criticism from the Bank of England and government intervention. The ‘core’ jobs market survey will take around 15 minutes to complete, rather than the current hour, with online responses sitting alongside in-person and telephone interviews. The new survey will also expand from 63,000 to 90,000 households each quarter, and data gathering could be rolled out in November 2026.  

We’ve got another webinar in our data-centric AI series coming up. Join Dr Saiph Savage, Assistant Professor at Northeastern University in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, as she discusses how AI can be used to make working conditions better for workers. The event takes place on Wednesday 23 April 16:00-17:00 BST, so get your free ticket now. We’ve also got a hands-on workshop for people who want to enhance their learning using generative AI. That’s on Thursday 24 April, 14:00-15:30 BST, and free tickets are available. 

And finally…it was reported this week that a man appearing before a New York appeals court found himself in the hot seat when he used an AI avatar to represent him in an employment dispute. Fearing that he might mumble and not present himself in the best way, Jerome Dewald created a video to play to judges, with a well-groomed, if slightly casually dressed, chap doing the job for him. It took Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels all of three seconds to rumble the ruse, and wow, she was not happy. Dewald, a startup founder in an AI legal business, said “They chewed me up pretty good”. His case is still pending.

Until next time

David and Jo

PS: We’ve extended the deadline for anybody wanting to join the ODI Solid Advisory Committee. Find out about all the roles we’re looking for and apply by Wednesday 30 April, 10:00 BST

From the outside world

AI is set to drive surging electricity demand from data centres while offering the potential to transform how the energy sector works

International Energy Agency

Major new IEA report brings groundbreaking data and analysis to one of the most pressing and least understood energy issues today, exploring AI’s wide range of potential impacts.

Energy demands from AI datacentres to quadruple by 2030, says report

The Guardian

The IEA forecast indicates a sharp rise in the requirements of AI, but said threat to the climate was ‘overstated’.

EU to build AI gigafactories in €20bn push to catch up with US and China

The Guardian

Up to five sites with power-hungry supercomputers and datacentres planned to drive AI ‘moonshots’.

The AI Race Has Gotten Crowded—and China Is Closing In on the US

Wired

New research from Stanford suggests artificial intelligence isn’t ruled by just OpenAI and Google, as competition increases across the US, China, and France.

US utilities grapple with Big Tech's massive power demands for data centers

Reuters

U.S. electric utilities are fielding massive requests for new power capacity as Big Tech scours the country for viable locations for new data centers to keep up with the compute demands of AI.

Revealed: Big tech’s new datacentres will take water from the world’s driest area

The Guardian

Amazon, Google and Microsoft are building datacentres in water-scarce parts of five continents.

The plans to put data centres in orbit and on the Moon

BBC

It sounds like something from a science fiction movie, but Stephen Eisele is confident that one day his company will open a data centre on the Moon.

UK creating ‘murder prediction’ tool to identify people most likely to kill

The Guardian

Exclusive: Algorithms allegedly being used to study data of thousands of people, in project critics say is ‘chilling and dystopian’.

Government’s 'murder prediction' tool is based on ‘racist’ data

Computing

Called ‘chilling and dystopian’

Stats body aims to publish key jobs data in late 2026

City AM

The UK’s official statistics body has set a target of November 2024 for the release of its flagship Labour Force Survey (LFS), which monitors the UK jobs market.

UK statistics office aims to fix labour data by late 2026

Reuters

Britain's statistics office said on Thursday it aimed to complete a revamp of its troubled flagship labour force data by November 2026 though the process could still take until 2027 if further problems emerge.

An AI avatar tried to argue a case before a New York court. The judges weren’t having it

AP

It took only seconds for the judges on a New York appeals court to realize that the man addressing them from a video screen — a person about to present an argument in a lawsuit — not only had no law degree, but didn’t exist at all.

From the ODI

Solid Advisory Committee

We are opening the call for members of the Solid Advisory Committee.

Data-centric AI webinar #9 Unveiling AI-Driven Collective Action for a Worker-Centric Future

Free webinar, Wednesday 23 Apr 2025 16:00 BST, book now

Join Dr Saiph Savage, Assistant Professor at Northeastern University in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, as she discusses how AI can be used to make working conditions better for workers.

How to use Generative AI to support learners

Free webinar, Thursday 24 Apr 2025, 02:00 BST book now

A practical deep dive into the benefits and challenges of using task-specific AI tutors.

Data Ethics Professional webinar #4: using demographic data ethically

Free webinar, Wednesday 30 Apr 2025 16:00 BST, book now 

Join Washington Technology Solution’s Cathi Greenwood, the state of Washington’s Open Data Program Manager, for her presentation on the importance of data ethics in organisations.

The Future of Data Infrastructure: a global view with Aaron Maniam

Free webinar, Wednesday 7 May 2025, 16:00 BST book now 

In this insightful session we'll dive into how governments can create digital transformation that's inclusive, equitable, and built to last.

The Week in Data

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