China Reveals the World’s First Underwater AI Data Center

BREAKING: China Reveals the World’s First Underwater AI Data Center

In a monumental step towards reshaping the future of computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure, China has officially unveiled the world’s first underwater data center powered by AI, located off the coast of Lingshui in Hainan province. Operated by HiCloud, a subsidiary of Highlander, this pioneering feat represents a fusion of technological ambition, ecological foresight, and national strategy. It’s not just a milestone in engineering—it's a paradigm shift in how we process and store data in the 21st century.

This article takes an in-depth look into this technological marvel, its implications for the world, and how it could transform everything from artificial intelligence to climate change solutions.

1. The Underwater Data Center: A Vision Realized

The concept of underwater data centers isn’t new. Big tech companies like Microsoft have experimented with the idea through initiatives like Project Natick—a research project that involved deploying a sealed data center module under the sea near Scotland in 2018. However, China is the first to commercialize the concept on a significant scale.

In April 2025, HiCloud successfully deployed the first commercial module 35 meters below sea level. This cylindrical module is about 18 meters long and 3.6 meters in diameter, and it contains 400 high-performance servers that rely on the surrounding seawater to cool themselves—an energy-efficient alternative to traditional air conditioning.

These servers can handle up to 7,000 AI queries per second using DeepSeek, an advanced large language model (LLM) akin to ChatGPT.

2. Why Underwater?

Why would a nation choose to sink its data beneath the sea? The reasons are both practical and strategic:

A. Efficient Cooling

Traditional data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity for cooling. By using seawater as a natural coolant, the underwater center drastically reduces its energy consumption, cutting costs and lowering its carbon footprint.

B. Space Optimization

With urban real estate becoming increasingly expensive and congested, placing data centers underwater frees up valuable land for other critical infrastructure or green zones.

C. Protection and Security

Positioning a data center underwater offers natural shielding from environmental damage, fires, or even cyberattacks that could compromise terrestrial infrastructure. Ocean depths can provide a layer of isolation that is difficult to breach.

3. AI Powerhouse Below the Waves

The capabilities of the underwater center are not just limited to storage. It's designed to be an AI powerhouse, suitable for:

Training large-scale AI models

Real-time simulations for industrial and medical use

Maritime research and ocean mapping

Virtual reality applications and 3D modeling

Military simulations and defense AI development

According to the company, the computing power is equivalent to 30,000 high-end gaming PCs running simultaneously. A calculation or simulation that might take a year on a conventional system can now be completed in under a second.

4. DeepSeek: China's Answer to ChatGPT

One of the major tools running on this system is DeepSeek, an open-source large language model developed in China. It represents a push to reduce dependency on Western AI models like OpenAI’s GPT series or Google’s Gemini.

Running DeepSeek on such a powerful infrastructure not only accelerates its training but makes it available for industrial-level deployment. This is significant, as AI is becoming a key sector in global tech dominance, and China is racing to lead.

5. National and Global Implications

A. National Security and Sovereignty

Control over massive computing infrastructure allows China to develop its AI independently of Western networks. Given current geopolitical tensions, having sovereign access to data and AI infrastructure has become a matter of national security.

B. Environmental Responsibility

This center is estimated to save millions of kilowatt-hours per year, contributing to China's goals of becoming carbon-neutral by 2060. By reducing the need for fossil-fueled cooling systems, this project supports the green tech revolution.

C. Technological Leadership

In a global race for tech supremacy, especially between China and the U.S., this innovation marks a symbolic and strategic victory. It shows that China is capable of leading in emerging technologies and implementing them at scale.

6. The Future: Scaling Underwater Infrastructure

According to HiCloud and Highlander, this is only the beginning. They plan to deploy 100 such data modules across an area of 68,000 square meters under the sea, creating what could be the largest underwater data cluster on Earth. Construction is expected to take up to five years.

This “ocean floor server city” could potentially host millions of servers, serving not just Chinese industries, but also global clients looking for sustainable and secure data solutions.

7. Economic Boost and Industry Use

The initial deployment has already attracted ten major enterprises, all from sectors like:

Telecommunications

Pharmaceuticals

Aerospace

Energy

Marine exploration

These companies are using the underwater center for everything from deep-sea simulation to genetic research involving large datasets. The government believes that this innovation could boost the local economy in Hainan by turning it into a tech hub and attracting international partnerships.

8. Risks and Challenges

While revolutionary, underwater data centers are not without their challenges:

Maintenance and Repairs

Accessing a malfunctioning module at 35 meters depth is far more complicated and costly than walking into a land-based server room.

Pressure and Corrosion

Despite careful engineering, the ocean is a hostile environment. Saltwater corrosion and pressure fluctuations pose risks.

Environmental Concerns

While energy-efficient, some critics worry about the potential impact on marine ecosystems—especially in areas near coral reefs or delicate underwater environments.

To address this, HiCloud has reportedly installed environmental sensors to monitor the water temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels around the module 24/7.

9. A Glimpse Into the Future

The success of China’s underwater data center could reshape how other countries design and deploy their digital infrastructure. Here’s how it might influence the global tech ecosystem:

U.S., Japan, South Korea, and EU countries may accelerate their own underwater or off-grid data projects.

Cloud companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft might rethink their infrastructure models in response.

A new generation of “aqua-engineers” may emerge, specializing in marine-tech hybrids.

More importantly, this innovation opens up possibilities for underwater cities, research labs, and maybe even AI-driven ocean colonization projects in the future.

10. Symbolism and National Pride

In Chinese culture, water symbolizes wisdom, adaptability, and life. By placing its data—the very soul of the digital age—into the ocean, China sends a message: it is not just adapting to the new era; it is shaping it.

As tensions grow between tech superpowers, this project may be seen not just as technological progress, but as a philosophical statement about China's role in the world.

The launch of the world’s first underwater AI-powered data center is a bold leap into the future—one that touches on nearly every domain: technology, ecology, economy, national strategy, and human imagination.

It’s not just about data anymore. It’s about where we keep it, how we process it, and who controls it.

In the cold, silent depths of the South China Sea, a revolution is humming to life—one server at a time.

References:

Highlander HiCloud. (2025). China launches world’s first underwater AI data center. Retrieved from https://www.hicloud.com.cn/news/underwater-datacenter

Xinhua News Agency. (2025, April 10). China's AI-powered subsea data center starts operation in Hainan. Xinhua. Retrieved from https://www.xinhuanet.com

Microsoft. (2020). Project Natick: Microsoft’s research into underwater datacenters. Retrieved from https://natick.research.microsoft.com

China Daily. (2025, April 11). HiCloud opens deep-sea data module in Lingshui. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn

Zhou, L. (2025). Green tech under the sea: China’s sustainable data innovation. Journal of Emerging Technologies, 33(2), 112–125.