ChipsSeptember 8, 2026via Financial Times Technology
Will data centres avoid the curse of the mega-project?
Why it matters
The physical buildout underpinning AI — data centres, power, supply chains — is hitting real-world constraints. This story examines whether the AI infrastructure wave can overcome classic mega-project failure modes.
Key signals
- Materials shortages identified as a risk factor
- Planning delays and permitting bottlenecks noted
- Labour scarcity in construction and operations sectors
- Power access and grid capacity constraints
- Systemic risks to AI compute buildout timelines
- Data-center construction facing materials shortages
- Planning delays cited as risk factor
- Labour scarcity impacting buildout velocity
- Power access emerging as critical constraint
- Mega-project delivery risk analysis (FT framing suggests historical parallels to infrastructure delays)
The hook
Data-centre mega-projects face the curse of every infrastructure buildout: materials, power, labour. Here's what could derail the AI compute race.
Many things can go awry, from materials shortages, planning delays, labour scarcity and access to power