AI Scales Up, Reality Hits Back: Data Centres, Power Pledges, and the Jobs Gap

In today’s episode of AI in Flow, Claire and Peter break down the week’s most consequential AI shifts across infrastructure, governance, and the workforce. AWS tests “Project Houdini,” a modular approach to building data centres faster—potentially a major edge in the compute crunch—while the industry confronts the harder constraint of power and grid capacity. They also unpack escalating security concerns after an alleged attack tied to rising hostility toward AI, and a new “ratepayer protection” pledge from major tech firms to fund power generation and grid upgrades themselves.The conversation then turns to Oracle’s aggressive AI capex plans and the risks of cash-flow pressure and customer concentration, before moving into open-source governance as the Linux kernel formalises a stance on AI-generated code: AI can assist, but humans remain accountable. Claire and Peter also cover scrutiny of UK “AI growth zone” job claims, TCS’s AI-first staffing and pay signals, widening tension between AI optimism and real displacement fears, and what an autonomous agent opening a physical shop reveals about where AI agents still fail without oversight. Rounding out the briefing: India’s new tax chatbot for citizen services and SoftBank’s reported domestic AI venture in Japan.About Six & FlowSix & Flow is a digital transformation consultancy helping businesses adapt, grow, and thrive in a fast-changing world. We specialise in AI, CRM, and revenue operations, blending strategy, technology, and creativity to deliver measurable impact. From scaling startups to global enterprises, we partner with ambitious teams to unlock growth through smart automation, customer-centric marketing, and forward-thinking sales enablement. Learn more at sixandflow.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.