Committee working on data centre plan in AI push

A States of Guernsey committee is planning to create a data centre strategy for the island.

Data centres are large warehouses where servers are based for processing data used by systems such as artificial intelligence (AI).

As part of its work plan for the next three years, the Committee for Economic Development (ED) put forward eight priorities which it said it would focus most of its resources on this political term.

The priorities are connectivity, tourism, trade, digital growth, economic infrastructure, economic strategy, regulation and finance.

All of the island's principal committees were required to publish their work plan by the end of June, but ED was the first to do so.

As part of the creation of this new strategy, the committee is exploring whether Guernsey could become a recognised centre for AI, data governance, digital identity and digital finance, potentially supported by local data centre infrastructure and new industries such as data trusts.

Committee President Sasha Kazantseva-Miller said: "Years of underinvestment in productive infrastructure have also constrained our ability to grow, and we cannot assume that past success alone will secure future prosperity."

Issues with States data means it is unclear whether there has been any growth in the island's economy since 2023.

Policy and Resources President Lindsay de Sausmarez said last month she would be in a position to lay out a timetable for the publication of new national statistics "soon".

ED said it would work on creating more measurable data to help judge the island's economy.

Other inquiries for the next three years include the investigation of a potential tax on visitors, improving the island's aircraft registry and the introduction of a digital identity for business.

Kazantseva-Miller said: "Many of the drivers of economic success sit beyond the committee's direct responsibilities, making a joined-up approach across government, industry and the community more important than ever.

"That is why developing a long-term economic strategy is one of our key priorities, providing a shared direction for sustainable growth across the bailiwick."

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