Smarter AI design, paired with green data infrastructure, can help Southeast Asia meet its digital ambitions without compromising energy transition goals. The region doesn’t just need more green data infrastructure – it also needs AI applications that do more with less. In Malaysia, electricity demand from data centres could rise sevenfold by 2030, reaching roughly 30 per cent of national consumption. A key part of the solution lies in improving the hardware, particularly through the development of “Green Data Centres“. Singapore’s 2024 Green Data Centre Roadmap sets top-tier energy efficiency standards and offers incentives for renewable energy use.