The expansion of data centers in Brazil requires planning, transparency, and regulations that ensure benefits for the country and reduce socio-environmental impacts. The conclusion was drawn by researchers during a debate held in Niterói, in Rio’s metropolitan region, on Monday (Jul. 27) as part of the 78th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science.

Professors Mauro Oliveira, from the Federal Institute of Ceará, and Dan Levy, from the Federal University of São Paulo, argued that the installation of large data processing centers must be accompanied by public policies and greater involvement from the scientific community.

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In Professor Oliveira’s view, Brazil runs the risk of repeating a historical pattern of exploiting natural resources without securing benefits for national development.

“The problem isn’t hosting data centers. The problem is accepting these investments without negotiation. Brazil needs to define what it wants to demand in return,” he said.

The discussion about data centers, he argues, is still limited to a few sectors and should involve universities, the government, and society. Professor Oliveira believes these projects pose challenges related to energy consumption, digital sovereignty, and control over technological infrastructure.

He cited the project to build a large AI data center in Ceará state. The facility, he noted, is expected to consume about 300 megawatts of power – a demand equivalent to the electricity supply capacity for millions of people.

“The world today cannot produce enough energy to meet the projected demand from AI data centers,” he stated.

In addition to energy, Professor Oliveira argued that Brazil should establish permanent mechanisms for monitoring, auditing, and ensuring transparency regarding these projects.

“The role of universities is to participate in this debate. We are not against data centers. We are against the absence of universities in the discussion about the conditions under which they are being implemented,” he said.

Impact

From an environmental law perspective, Professor Dan Levy argued that the impacts caused by data centers go beyond water and energy consumption. To his judgment, effects such as noise pollution, pressure on natural resources, territorial conflicts, social inequalities, and risks to vulnerable communities must also be considered.

“The digital transition and the ecological transition cannot be treated as separate processes. We must incorporate criteria of sustainability, transparency, and social participation,” he stated.

The communities directly affected need to participate in decisions related to the implementation of these projects and not just bear the brunt of their impacts, he went on to say.

He also linked the expansion of data centers to the concept of digital colonialism, whereby countries in the Global South provide natural resources – such as energy, water, and land – to sustain the technological infrastructure of large corporations in the Global North.

“We’re not against development. The issue is how this development is carried out and who bears its costs,” he concluded saying.