Are data centers just energy hogs — or the future of smart grids?

As AI models grow bigger and data centers become more energy-intensive, China faces a critical question: How can this digital boom align with its clean energy goals? In this episode, Fei Fei visits a data center in Guizhou, a pivotal hub in China’s digital network. She also explores how data centers—often seen as energy guzzlers—might evolve into key players in a flexible, renewable-powered grid. From repurposing server heat to shifting computing loads to match solar and wind output, we look at big ideas from Associate Professor Wang Yongzhen of the Beijing Institute of Technology.