In a commentary, SMU’s OUB Chair Professor of Computer Science David Lo, Ember Senior Policy Analyst Dr Muyi Yang and CSIRO’s Data61 Principal Research Scientist Xiwei (Sherry) Xu highlighted that Southeast Asia’s digital boom is straining energy systems, with data centres threatening clean energy goals if reliant on fossil fuels. While green data centres are a step forward, they stressed that smarter artificial intelligence (AI) design is vital to deliver results with lower computational and energy demands through smaller models, high-quality datasets, and efficient algorithms. The writers called for institutions to foster an environment that embeds energy efficiency into digital growth. They also recognised that software efficiency is the first step toward aligning Southeast Asia’s digital ambitions with its energy transition goals.
