- Half of Brits aren’t even familiar with data centers, report says
- Three in five people know they play a role in hybrid working
- Continuing Education Could Increase Public Confidence in Data Centers
Despite efforts to develop the country’s artificial intelligence capabilities, new research from Telehouse has found that more than half (51%) of Brits don’t even know the term “data centre”.
Even those who have heard of data centers aren’t necessarily aware of the role they play in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and even cloud storage.
Two in three (67%) don’t understand the role meeting centers play, and two in five (42%) don’t know the scale of the number of people, applications and data these centers support. campus.
UK citizens are unfamiliar with data centers
This trend paints a worrying picture of Britain’s intentions to become a leader in artificial intelligence: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wants to make the UK a world leader in artificial intelligence.
In 2024, data centers were classified as critical national infrastructure, giving them additional protection and monitoring. In recent years, the government has increased its focus on data centers, which has coincided with investments in AI and other plans to expand digital infrastructure. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner recently approved a £670 million data center project in Buckinghamshire, which will occupy land in a green belt.
However, even though two in three (59%) UK consumers surveyed agree that data centers are important for remote working, 19% are unsure how the facilities actually support their remote working.
“We recognize that there is a significant knowledge gap around data centers and their impact on digital lives,” noted Mark Pestridge, executive vice president and general manager of Telehouse Europe.
Pestridge hopes that education around data centers will bridge the knowledge gap and thus increase public confidence in digital infrastructure.
