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In focus
- Why confidence is still strong in Malaysian data centers, despite the environmental and political concerns
- How AI is changing how we use the internet and what this means for web design
- A new US$350 million fund for Granite Asia
Hello reader,
The first time I heard about liquid cooling systems for computers, I thought I was reading the technological version of the Darwin Awards.
You want me to run WATER through my very expensive, very electric computer? Pull the other one. It’s got bells on.
But things have changed. Tales of water-soaked CPUs have pretty much vanished over the years – except from the DIYers out there – and water is still the best way to remove the excess heat that computer chips generate.
Of course, since this sounds like a good idea, we’ve abused it. Using water to cool data centers is causing environmental issues in countries like Malaysia.
The demand for clean water in the country has skyrocketed as data center construction has boomed. Concerns over water supply, along with energy production, led Malaysia to slow down its approval of new data centers in September.
But newer liquid cooling systems no longer use water, but a synthetic fluid already used in everything from food and cosmetics to industrial products. It’s one of the ways that Malaysia’s data centers are trying to keep the boom alive.
Water and energy are just two of the challenges the country faces, along with geopolitics and a possible AI bubble. These are the focus of today’s first Top Story.
For our second Top Story, we look at how web design and user experience are changing in the age of AI. Melvin Yuan writes how today’s users want clarity, direction, and an immediate next step, instead of spending time exploring page hierarchies and trying to decode navigation bars.
Finally, we’ll look at why Google has decided that the best defense against indirect prompt injections, a security vulnerability in AI systems, is (drumroll, please!) more AI.
Scott Shuey, senior editor
Top Stories
1️⃣ No bubble, doom, or trouble for Malaysia’s data centers
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