Google planning powerful AI data center on tiny Australian outpost

Red crabs walk across a road in Christmas Island, Australia, in October. SYDNEY - Google plans to build a large artificial intelligence data center on Australia's remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents and interviews with officials. Plans for the data center on the tiny island located 350 kilometers south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret. However, military experts say such a facility would be a valuable asset on the island, which is increasingly seen by defense officials as a critical front line in monitoring Chinese submarine and other naval activity in the Indian Ocean. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.