Scaling AI sustainably: Four missteps leaders must avoid

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is scaling at breakneck speed across Asia – but the region’s infrastructure, energy systems and sustainability frameworks are struggling to keep up. 

In August 2025, Singapore introduced a new data centre standard to improve IT energy efficiency in tropical climates, targeting at least a 30 per cent reduction in energy use through smarter equipment selection and optimised operations.

China is experimenting with underwater data centres to cut cooling costs, while markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia are tightening environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting rules.