Southeast Asia could become a booming AI market if its data centers can beat the heat

Southeast Asia is racing to build the infrastructure powering the AI boom, but its hot, humid climate could be making that expansion more complicated. Data center demand in the region, where supply is up to 70% lower than in mature markets like the U.S. and China, is expected to grow by 20% each year through 2028, according to the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council. There are now 370 data centers in the region, with the majority in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“The ecosystem has realized...