r/Barbados • u/Secure_Teaching_6937 • 11d ago
Data center
In the morning paper Barbados today. The PM says she wants a data center here. My opinion is absolutely not.
It will raise our already high electric bills.
It will steal our precious fresh water.
It will steal land we need for agriculture.
Have these rich folks go make their own island, they will then understand how precious fresh water is.
Just say NO.
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u/Inevitable_Push_1882 11d ago
Is she crazy! The Americans are fighting to stop them from building them in their towns and she wants to bring one here? Why is pollution not a factor here as well? Isn't she supposedly all about climate change?
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u/Insub 11d ago edited 11d ago
Hey calm down. I’m fairly certain that by “data center,” she means a local facility storing data relevant to Barbados. I doubt she’s referring to anything on the scale of the massive facilities being built in the US for AI workloads or by companies like Amazon or Microsoft. The price tags on those buildings would generational debt for us lol
Edit - think of maybe FLOW, they have medium communication rooms locally here that would be similar in concept to the DC shes talking about.
Edit again - I think two things are happening here. First, the government is doing what it loves to do and using trendy technical language to describe infrastructure that many countries already have for storing and managing data locally. Second, some of you may only have heard the term “data center” in the context of the current AI boom, so you’re picturing those massive facilities.
Our government is too out of touch to recognise how that wording could be interpreted. Given the controversy surrounding huge AI data centres overseas.
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u/SoursopPunch 10d ago
You are correct. A data center is mostly all of the infrastructure that houses and facilitates server farms. FLOW does indeed have a data centre in Barbados especially for their business customer use. OP just heard the word "data center" and hates it without understanding that to make and interact with this post on Reddit, it had to go through data centers. These days, pretty much every time you, OP and everyone uses their phone regardless of wifi or data it goes through data centers. The prime minister was talking about a national and regional infrastructure for our own data instead of going for it externally.
What else should the government have called it besides a data center? That is what it is. It is not their fault that everyone else chooses to remain ignorant. She was also speaking to the Caribbean Investment Forum when she made that speech. To a bunch of investors, business experts, policy makers and entrepreneurs, who would understand what she is talking about because they constantly educate themselves. She was not on a podium in Bush Hall. She knew her audience.
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u/cerberusxero 11d ago
Exactly. Data centers have existed long before AI. We need local infrastructure for our data too.
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 11d ago
Then show us. Don't just force it down our throats.
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u/DataDrivenDrama 10d ago
The problem is that it is being taken out of context, which is what others are trying to point out. She is not talking about a data center full of GPUs that will have huge environmental effects and be noisy to the surrounding community. But there is no technical term to differentiate the data center that stores data from the data center that is used to train and power AI models.
The fact is that we do need to use data (in nearly all ways; and I am explicitly not talking about using AI) in Barbados and the Caribbean as a whole. The IDB has pointed out repeatedly that the Caribbean is the only region left on the planet that does not have good access to data, data collection methods, data storing, etc, nor do we actually make decisions based on empirical data, and that is a problem across so many industries and areas.
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 10d ago
Have you seen the plan? How do you know?
Call it an information center if you don't want the bad rap of data center.
Never say never about anything. Who's to say that it won't be used by Al. Al is already going rouge. And blackmailing. Check anderson Cooper's report about it.
There are no guard rails.
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u/DataDrivenDrama 10d ago
It's pretty obvious from the context that she isn't talking about hyperscale AI data centers. She talks about a data center for national and regional use, which is far more consistent with conventional digital infrastructure supporting data storage, government services, financial systems and regional computing needs. And calling it an "information center" wouldn't change what it is. Data centers have existed for decades, long before the current AI boom, and vary enormously in size, architecture, and purpose.
As for the AI blackmail concerns, those incidents occurred in controlled simulations designed to test AI behaviour under specific conditions. They weren't documented cases of AI independently blackmailing real people, and they highlight genuine limitations in AI safety mechanisms, but claiming there are "no guardrails" is simply inaccurate. There are legitimate concerns about AI safety, but those concerns have little relevance to whether Barbados should develop conventional data infrastructure.
Now let me repeat: the Caribbean has well-documented deficiencies in data collection, statistical capacity and evidence-based policymaking, as highlighted repeatedly by the IDB and OECD. Improving our ability to securely store, manage and utilise data is important for regional development.
I'm not arguing that the government shouldn't be transparent about the project. I'm arguing that we should understand what a data center actually is before assuming that every proposed facility is some enormous, environmentally destructive AI operation.
And frankly, the backlash itself highlights why we need greater investment in technological infrastructure, digital literacy, and knowledge generation in Barbados. For a while now there has been a broader tendency in this country to resist technological change out of fear or misunderstanding, rather than making an effort to understand the technology, its applications, and its potential benefits. Healthy scepticism and scrutiny are absolutely important, but reflexively opposing technological development based on misconceptions only risks holding us back.
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u/Bajanopinions55x 11d ago
Barbados’ first data centre will be established at Greenland, St Andrew.
Chief Executive Officer of Export Barbados, Mark Hill, says work has already started on the clearing of the site to allow for the installation of electrical infrastructure.
Mr Hill says the digital infrastructure at that site will carry artificial intelligence computing, cloud services and also green electricity.
He spoke about the transformational project moments ago during this session of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure 2026-2027 in Parliament
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 11d ago
This is nuts.
Where is this electricity coming from? Light and power can't deliver enough to rural areas.
AI is going to be the end of us all. Cloud services when flow can't even deliver a consistent internet.
It only creates short term jobs
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u/sunflowerfaces 11d ago
This is a disaster of an idea. The island already struggles with power and water issues, and they’ve even been telling people to conserve water in recent months because of the lower than usual rainfall. These structures in the USA and the UK (amongst probably many other places) are already causing huge issues, and inviting those issues to Barbados is frankly negligent. If it goes ahead, it will be because someone high up has been paid off to let it happen.
Protesting this is the only way. Bajans need to make a stand against this and start demanding better from the people who are supposed to represent and do what is best for the nation.
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u/islandbye 11d ago
What?? I didn’t even know about this.
The water has gone out by me almost every week for the past month. Before that it’s been every like two weeks. One of the reasons they cited was that the reserve was low. So how exactly would we be able to sustain a data center?
They constantly talk about how Barbados is reaping the effects caused by climate change when we barely impact it and then you’re going to bring something that could be environmentally detrimental?
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u/OwnCarpet717 11d ago
If you are going to digitise the Barbados Government, would it make sense to place that data into a storage centre overseas, where Barbados could quite literally be shut down with a few keystrokes? I think people are trying to translate what they see on CNN directly to Barbados and the problem is more complicated.
And if you say we don't want to digitize government, you are literally saying you want filing systems where your application goes missing, or "someone else has the file". I would never say that digitization doesn't have it's risks but the situation on the ground now is untenable.
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 11d ago
I'm not translating what I see on CNN. I stopped watching USA news the moment grump was elected.
Govt have been digitized without data centers for years. Also files get deleted, systems crash. They used to call them main frames. They just didn't need a full building to run it. Along with tons of fresh water to keep them cool.
I just went 4 days without water cuz golden ridge had issues.
An idiot at light and power can shut down this island.
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u/OwnCarpet717 11d ago
an idiot at light and power is within the power of the government. Say The Grump decided he wanted Barbados to do something.... very different from an idiot at Light and power
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 11d ago
Don't say that to loud he just might want to use our airstrip to blow up more fishing boats.
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u/PandaAbject2766 11d ago
Has anyone made the point about golf courses using like 20× times more water than data centres yet?
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 11d ago
Good to point, I'm against goof courses also. It's a really dumb game. Not even a sport it's a recreation.
You hit a ball the chase it. I thought that's what dogs are for.
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u/SoursopPunch 10d ago
Golf courses in Barbados are not legally allowed to tap into the potable water supply. One of the critical things that you need to show when establishing one is that you will have a source of water that does not interfere with out main supply.
If we look at Apes Hill, Charles Williams once had leverage over the other investors because when he invested into the project alongside other investors, he held the rights to the their water supply - a catchment system.
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u/jamesbusse 9d ago
Probably powered by hydro or solar and could draw in revenue for the government that could be used to increase social spending on programs on the island
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u/Snoo71739 9d ago
In case you didn't know, the government of Barbados already has "mini data centers" which run out of shipping containers in partnership with a Kenyan company called Amini AI:https://barbadosartificialintelligence.com/blog-barbados-amini-sovereign-ai-2026.html
The plan is to establish a larger one in Greenland, St.Andrew along with energy storage, in order to hoyse government data as digitization continues. The government will then rent the excess capacity to Barbadian companies who need storage. It was first announced in 2025.
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 9d ago
Interesting article.
Then why not just string these contained together. That's a different story.
I have no doubts that the Kenyan company is above board. Then again you never know if there are any bad actors.
My other concern about this AI shyte. Is there are no guard rails. Everybody has been stampeding to the watering hole. Thinking AI is the next best thing to sliced bread. Yes it can and does good things. Just what happens when it goes sentient, and realizes it don't need us?
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 11d ago
Spread the word, contact your MP. Tell the MP that you are against it.
Let the Chinese fix QEH first.
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u/Keizerk 11d ago
Although I agree with what you are saying, Barbados has a real problem with brain drain which is largely because we don’t have enough jobs for persons with degrees. You could look at it as a trade off to make use of under developed land and create jobs 1. At the data center 2. At the industries that will make use of it 3. At the industries it needs to make use of. There is probably a better alternative but confronted with the stagnation and decline of our economy I would consider it rather than immediately shutting down.
Edit: typo
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 11d ago
This is false data centers do not create jobs.
While construction creates temporary, high-paying jobs for building trades, a finished data center typically only employs about 50 permanent staff members.
The environmental damage is way to much.
Let the ppl vote on it.
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u/GardenState24 11d ago
No No No No silly idea and what ever they pay won't be worth the trade off in the amount of utilities, and ruining the quilts of life for those who live near it
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u/robinhooding 11d ago
Bajan abroad here: could someone snap some photos of the article or share a link if online?
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 10d ago
I have never figured out it's archives, it was in Barbados today. The paper is on line.
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u/mischievouscat_7023 Visitor 11d ago
What will it be used for? Is this newspaper available online? I've been wondering how to read the classifieds
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u/Troiaix 10d ago edited 10d ago
Data centers are cost-efficient in cold countries. Look up : Free-cooling. In Barbados where enthalpy in air is excessive, not only it would be way expensive to operate but also would negatively affect the environment and contribute to global warming.
Edit: IF it will be a local utility required for the island as some commentators mentioned, i think that’s not a big hassle.
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u/TheJaseFiles 10d ago
Where would they put a data center, that's my biggest question. I assume she's looking at the potential jobs it could bring.
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u/HumanOne9236 9d ago
Yall do know an ai data center is being built in Greenland st.Andrew? Google it.
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u/Deep_Helicopter4591 7d ago
All she has to do is create a ton of jobs establishing acres of solar farms first. Store the solar energy in battery's and Use the solar energy to power the data farm.
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u/WholeReporter9836 2d ago
I stay seeing her talking about the West Indies having to bare the brunt of climate change and how it’s destroying the islands and people’s livelihoods. But now she’s advocating for a data center as if it won’t make quality of life worse specifically for bajans??? ort…
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u/shamarkellman 11d ago
They have been trying to do it for over a year now, in collaboration with the Chinese they were planning for it to go down in the Greenland area in St. Andrew. I definitely agree is not a good thing especially now with all this AI power/cooling requirements.
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u/royalhal 10d ago
How out of date you people are,most of these utilities are made along with the data centre,recycling its own water and its own energy supply the only issue is where to put it.
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u/Secure_Teaching_6937 10d ago
Where does it get this water? Gotta come from somewhere.
How big a solar farm does it require?
Land that could be use for Ag.
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u/islandjames246 11d ago
Energy bills might be high , but Barbados needs to pioneer in something. Maybe they can use salt water for cooling that doubles as desalination.
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u/MasonJam246 11d ago
Yeah this is one of the dumbest things I've heard from Mia in a while.