A World Bank report found that developing economies received around 40 percent of worldwide foreign direct investment directed at data centre infrastructure, while a handful of large technology corporations headquartered in wealthier nations continue to hold a disproportionate share of the computing power driving artificial intelligence advancement.

According to the document, which assessed both the hazards and potential of artificial intelligence investment, administrations could strengthen computational infrastructure by attracting overseas companies to fund domestic development projects. The report found that growing power consumption from artificial intelligence data centres could place upward pressure on energy costs for both consumers and industry. According to the World Bank, elevated power demand from data centres stands among the leading factors that could drive up electricity prices.

Building advanced artificial intelligence systems calls for substantial outlays across chip manufacturing, computing infrastructure, large-scale datasets, and specialised technical talent. Leading artificial intelligence companies headquartered in the United States are projected to collectively invest over $750 billion in infrastructure throughout the current year, a sum that exceeds the total annual economic output of numerous lower-income nations. Projected expenditure by top artificial intelligence firms across the United States could approach $775 billion by 2026, with these organisations maintaining extensive cloud infrastructure for the purpose of training and deploying advanced AI systems.

Nations such as China, Mexico, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand account for roughly half of the hardware exported worldwide for use in artificial intelligence deployment, positioning lower-income economies at the forefront of that supply chain. According to World Bank figures, these economies are expanding their roles within the AI hardware and infrastructure supply chain at an international level.

According to the document, building domestic data centre infrastructure in upper-middle-income nations could tailor AI systems to regional requirements, while administrations might also ease the entry of overseas companies seeking to expand computational resources. Nations with smaller economies can attract private capital by establishing shared regulatory frameworks or pooling resources to fund regional data infrastructure, as demonstrated by initiatives under the African Union. The World Bank further observed that fiscal incentives and targeted measures to attract artificial intelligence investment have the potential to drive economic expansion.

The report flagged that heavy clustering of capital flows in this sector could push asset valuations higher and amplify volatility across investment cycles.

According to one industry observer, the race for artificial intelligence dominance now extends well beyond model development to encompass processing infrastructure, power availability, and control over data resources. According to the analyst, building out data centre infrastructure offers domestic businesses improved access to computing resources, fosters growth among local AI ventures, and contributes to a broader technology ecosystem that generates economic value within the country.

Positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Türkiye is well-placed to attract a growing portion of worldwide data centre spending, supported by its broad digital economy, established telecommunications networks, and developing technology sector. Turkey's artificial intelligence strategy targets a minimum of one gigawatt in data centre capacity and $10 billion in private-sector investment across cloud, digital infrastructure, and AI by 2030.

Affordable and reliable energy supply, renewable generation capacity, robust fibre-optic infrastructure, cybersecurity provisions, consistent regulatory frameworks, and a skilled labour pool have been identified as factors that would work together to capitalise on these prospects. The analyst further argued that beyond merely hosting data centres, the country should leverage its computing infrastructure to drive domestic artificial intelligence development, research, and exports with higher added value.