Thousands march in Edinburgh against large-scale AI data centers

March to the Scottish Parliament

Thousands of people gathered in Edinburgh on Saturday to protest against plans for large-scale artificial intelligence data centers in Scotland, amid growing concerns over the environmental and social impact of the facilities. Demonstrators carrying signs and wearing costumes assembled at the top of the Royal Mile before marching toward the Parliament in the Scottish capital.

The demonstration forms part of a wider wave of protests across Europe against the expansion of AI infrastructure, with its energy consumption and environmental footprint among the concerns.

Proposed sites and scale

Campaigners voiced opposition to proposed developments in communities including Cockenzie in East Lothian and Larbert in Falkirk. The debate over data centers in Scotland has intensified as plans emerge for a facility at Chapelcross in Dumfries and Galloway, which could have a capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) and potentially become one of the world's largest data centers.

DataVita's facility in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, currently believed to be Scotland's largest, has a capacity of 12 MW by comparison.

Government response

The Scottish Greens and environmental campaign groups have called for a moratorium on large-scale data center developments, warning that the projects could undermine climate targets and increase pressure on renewable energy supplies. The Scottish government is expected to publish new planning guidance for data centers, and it has said it is developing a strategy to maximize their “public benefit.”

Innovation Minister Alyn Smith has defended the sector, describing data centers as “the whisky bonds of the AI sector” and dismissing some of the criticism as “wild.” Smith told the BBC that comparisons with poorly designed desert facilities in the US state of Utah did not necessarily reflect the type of developments planned for Scotland.