Paris: International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol announced on Tuesday that the agency will launch its own artificial intelligence (AI) and energy observatory in April. Speaking at the AI Action Summit in Paris, he emphasized the critical need for reliable energy supplies for AI data centers.

According to Anadolu Agency, Birol noted that countries with secure, sustainable, and affordable electricity supplies have a significant advantage, as data centers are being built more rapidly than the infrastructure required to power them. This situation presents a considerable challenge that requires collaboration among public authorities, energy firms, and technology companies.

Birol highlighted the uncertainties surrounding AI and energy, announcing the observatory's creation to analyze the electricity demands of data centers and assess AI's impact on energy technologies. He mentioned that AI data centers stimulate new business models and advance technologies like nuclear power and new geothermal energy technology.

Additionally, he stated that the observatory's resources will be accessible to the public. The Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, co-chaired by France and India, provided a platform for this announcement.

Birol also congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron for facilitating a constructive dialogue on AI and acknowledged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that the world's largest data center is currently being built in India.