AI, Data Centres and the Future of Demand – WE Café Discussion Highlights

AI, Data Centres and the Future of Demand – WE Café Discussion Highlights

On 21 May 2026, the World Energy Council hosted a WE Café session on AI, data centres, and the future of demand – co-hosted by Member Committees in Türkiye, Finland, and the UAE, with perspectives from the IEA, EPRI, Wärtsilä Energy, and ADNOC.

The session explored why AI-driven demand is different, how it is exposing existing grid constraints, and what flexibility and coordination will need to look like at scale.

44% of participants believed AI and data centre growth would place simultaneous pressure across all three dimensions of the World Energy Trilemma – energy security, equity, and environmental sustainability – signalling that the sector sees this as a challenge with no single easy answer.

Download the full highlights to explore the key themes and questions shaping the conversation ahead.