These are some of the most complex structures ever created': how tech reporting moved into the physical world

The piece explains how tech reporting is moving from screens to the physical world by investigating datacentres built to power the AI boom. The Guardian’s global tech reporting team is examining the real-world constraints behind projects, after publishing an investigation this week about an £8.2bn AI complex in rural Scotland allegedly misrepresenting plans to run entirely on on-site renewables. Aisha Down, who covers AI for the outlet, traveled around Lanarkshire, speaking with local residents, reviewing public records, and obtaining internal documents. The reporting follows a similar earlier investigation of a four-acre London-area site intended for an AI supercomputer complex, which was still being used as a scaffolding yard. The work also ties into broader coverage of how datacentre plans are being challenged worldwide, including electricity grid capacity, component availability, and environmental impacts. The article frames this as a growing overlap between technology, energy, and environment reporting.