Alphabet is pursuing a subsea-connected AI data centre on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, built after a cloud deal with Australia’s Defence Department earlier this year.

Security experts say the facility could enable AI-enabled command, control, and surveillance for uncrewed or targeting missions, underscoring the island’s strategic role in monitoring regional maritime activity.

Shire President Steve Pereira stresses community considerations and potential gains from infrastructure and jobs, while urging protection of existing island industries and thorough assessment of community impact.

Local authorities could still block the project, as several key details about the plan remain undisclosed.

Negotiations and evaluations continue among local and defence sources, balancing security, economic development, and community impact before any final commitments.

Environmental challenges, such as high baby crab mortality during the migration from sea to forest, factor into approvals for any subsea cable and facility.

Analysts note potential indirect benefits to crypto markets and AI-related tech stocks from heightened tech-sector optimism and possible institutional flows into AI assets.

Public discourse reflects curiosity and concerns about secrecy, privacy, ethics, and international norms in an era of AI-enabled warfare surrounding the project.

Details on the data centre’s size, cost, and exact uses remain confidential, but planning documents point to a roughly 7-megawatt facility powered by diesel and renewables with a subsea link to Asia.

Some observers view the project as signaling a convergence of AI innovation and military strategy, despite Google’s framing of the work as commercial infrastructure.

The island’s roughly 1,600 residents note limited telecoms and job opportunities, making community benefits a central consideration in approving the project.

Local residents express cautious optimism about infrastructure, employment, and telecommunications improvements, while concerns include militarisation and impacts on tourism.