‘It means missile defence on data centres’: drone strikes raises doubts over Gulf as AI superpower

Drone strikes, allegedly by Iran's IRGC, targeted Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and one in Bahrain, causing significant local disruption and raising questions about the security of critical digital infrastructure in the Gulf region. These attacks hit at the heart of the UAE's strategy to become a global Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub, leveraging cheap energy and strategic location to attract billions in foreign investment, including a major US-backed AI campus. Experts suggest that if the Gulf nations are to double down on AI development, they may need to implement robust physical defenses, potentially including missile defense systems for data centers, similar to how maritime operators invest in anti-piracy measures. The strikes highlight the vulnerability of this new critical infrastructure to asymmetric warfare, putting the region's strategic position and economic stability at risk.

(Source：the Guardian)