On March 25, industries across the globe recognize International Data Center Day, a day that highlights the infrastructure powering modern life and inspires the next generation driving digital growth. From streaming platforms and online banking to autonomous vehicles and generative artificial intelligence (AI), data centers are the engines behind the digital world. 

AI-driven data centers are creating the need for high-density, energy-intensive facilities built to support advanced computing at a massive scale. This shift is redefining not only how data centers are designed and constructed, but also what it means to work in construction today. Through its Mission Critical sector, PCL Construction teams are building AI‑driven hyperscale data centers that help power the intelligence shaping the future of digital life.

AI has drastically altered the demands placed on data centers. AI workloads require significantly more computing power than previous use, driving the need for facilities that support higher power density, advanced cooling methods and more complex operational requirements.

“AI hasn’t replaced traditional data center needs; it’s added to them,” says Tyler Kautz, a regional vice president with PCL. “Every new phase of AI builds on the last, which means demand for compute capacity, storage and speed continues to grow.”

Equipment racks that once consumed relatively modest amounts of power now require exponentially more energy, creating challenges around power delivery, cooling and reliability. Traditional air‑cooled systems are increasingly being supplemented or replaced by advanced liquid‑cooling technologies designed to manage higher heat loads more efficiently.

Those evolving demands are reshaping how data centers are designed, built and delivered. Developers, engineers and contractors are being pushed to collaborate earlier and more closely to balance speed, reliability and efficiency while navigating increasingly complex power, cooling and infrastructure requirements.  

At the same time, the scale of today’s hyperscale facilities is forcing teams to grow significantly and quickly, with larger, more specialized workforces needed to execute these massive projects and solve unprecedented infrastructure challenges.

That shift is already visible on job sites across North America, where the pace, scale and labor demands of data center construction continue to accelerate.

• North America currently represents the largest share of the global data center construction market, accounting for nearly 39% of activity worldwide.
• According to an estimate from Bank of America, global investment in hyperscale data centers is projected to increase 67% in 2025 and an additional 31% in 2026, adding up to $611 billion dedicated to AI-driven infrastructure in just two years.
• During peak construction, a single hyperscale data center can employ as many as 1,500 workers on-site, reflecting the scale and complexity of these projects.
• Across the United States, close to 3,000 data centers are either under construction or in the planning pipeline. 
• The strongest concentration of AI-driven data center development in the United States is occurring in Texas, Virginia, New York, Illinois, Georgia, Utah and Ohio, with Texas and Virginia leading the way.
• Toronto, Montreal and Alberta account for roughly ⁠90% of Canada’s total data center capacity, with Alberta anticipated to emerge as a major hub for hyperscale and AI‑focused projects.
• With demand outpacing supply for skilled labor, workers on data center construction projects are often seeing a 25% to 30% pay increase compared to previous construction roles, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

“Higher density isn't just changing the technical equation; it’s changing the workforce required to deliver these facilities,” says Kautz. “Enhanced computing power increases the need for highly skilled teams that can work across disciplines and adapt quickly on-site. Success now depends as much on people and coordination as it does on technology.” 

Behind the advances and challenges of AI-driven data centers is a workforce that looks very different from the construction industry of even a decade ago. Building modern data centers requires expertise that spans engineering, digital modeling, analytics and emerging technologies, alongside traditional construction skills.

“On today’s data center sites, digital tools are becoming standard practice,” says Ray Mollett, director of preconstruction with PCL’s Mission Critical team. “Teams are using tools such as virtual and augmented reality, reality capture and laser scanning to compare what’s been built in the field against digital models, while robotic layout is beginning to support faster, more precise installation.”

Through its buildings, civil and industrial teams, PCL offers opportunities to work across the full lifecycle of a data center campus — from site development and water infrastructure to power generation, substations and the facilities themselves, including electrical and mechanical. That integrated approach allows teams to help solve some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including power availability, water use and long‑term resilience, while seeing how each discipline connects to deliver a fully functioning digital ecosystem.

Modern data centers are designed not just for today’s technology, but for decades of evolution. AI capabilities, energy systems and computing hardware will continue to change, and facilities must be flexible enough to adapt.

“These buildings are critical infrastructure,” says Holynde Smiechowski, PCL’s corporate AI Lead. “How they’re designed and built will influence resilience, sustainability and digital capacity for 20 to 40 years, or longer.”

That long-term perspective underscores the importance of thoughtful design, construction, integrated delivery and collaboration across disciplines. It also highlights the opportunity ahead for the construction industry.

“Construction is becoming increasingly data-driven,” Mollett says. “AI is being used to support estimating, scheduling, risk analysis and coordination, helping teams process enormous amounts of information more quickly and accurately.” 

Those tools do not replace human expertise; they enhance it. By automating time-consuming administrative tasks, AI allows builders to focus on decision-making, problem-solving and field leadership.

Smiechowski describes this shift as “augmented intelligence,” technology designed to amplify human judgment rather than replace it.

“Construction will always be a human-led industry,” says Smiechowski. “AI helps manage complexity, but accountability and decision-making stay firmly with the people building the work.”

As AI transforms how the world works, data centers will remain at the center of that transformation, and the builders behind them will play a defining role. 

On International Data Center Day, the spotlight turns not just to the technology housed inside these facilities, but to the people and expertise required to bring them to life. In an increasingly digital world, construction is no longer just about building structures; it’s about building the infrastructure that enables digital intelligence.