Data centre concerns misguided: Ontario Premier Doug Ford releases new AI policy

 

 

Ontario has released a new data centre playbook that contains specific requirements and guidelines for setting up data centres in Ontario. The government’s move comes as various municipalities in the province have imposed temporary bans on data centre construction, citing environmental issues, land use and noise pollution. Doug Ford said people are misinformed about the harmful effects of data centres. He added that when the internet and technology are fully used for the needs of society, it is not rational to oppose the necessary infrastructure in their own area and that people need to understand more about this.

Ford argues that local data centres are essential to protecting the country’s digital sovereignty. Ford said there are only two options: build our own data centers and protect our data, or submit to US President Donald Trump's policies. But Ivanta Light, an associate professor in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, points out that simply establishing data centers in Canada will not ensure data security. He explained that much of the Internet infrastructure passes through the United States, so data transfers also take place there. Opposition technology critic Chris Glover warned that authorities there could inspect data in data centers under American-owned companies under the 'Patriot Act'.

Doug Ford clarified that the new policy document is designed to attract only leading projects to the province, and that companies will not be given special financial incentives or freebies for this. He said that approval will be given after strict inspections and that the project will provide benefits to the local community. At the same time, experts point out that data centers will not provide the long-term employment opportunities that typical large-scale development projects provide. Although more workers will be needed during the construction phase, once operational, only a handful of employees will be needed to manage such centers because the computers will run themselves.