📋 Tender Overview
Experts heard by the Senate in the last two weeks have warned that the research and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) consume a lot of electricity. For them, this environmental and technological impasse needs the attentive look of the National Congress. Currently, Brazil has at least 160 specialized data processing centers, the so -called data centers, most of them in the Southeast region (110).
Basically, Data Center is the place that keeps a companys computer systems with storage, processing and network. These centers may involve computing, telecommunication, data storage, research and development in computer science, among other areas - but all consume electricity and need stable and cheap supply.
Experts heard by the Senate Science and Technology Commission (CCT) believe that data centers regulation will contribute to the development of the economy and the advancement of artificial intelligence in all sectors. Brazil has energy potential to occupy a prominent place in the world scenario, guarantees several of them.
It is in this context that the Bill of Senator Styvenson Valentim (PSDB-RN) is inserted, which establishes rules for the operation of AI data centers, with emphasis on topics such as energy efficiency, environmental sustainability and responsibility for the use of technology. The proposal considers the rapid expansion of the sector and the challenges that follow this advance, such as high electricity consumption, cyber security and user data protection.
The president of the Association of Information and Communication Technology and Digital Technology Companies (Brasscom), Affonso Parga Nina, said the data centers are a key player in the information and communication technology sector. He reported that the data centers economic chain involves expert engineering, software development companies, cybersecurity and solutions, among others.
- This wide view of the data centers is important: if we do not have this structure here in Brazil, we cannot support this whole chain, which generates qualified jobs in quite large quantities for Brazil. Today we have more than 2 million people employed in the sector and in the macrossector in information technology functions. And the demand is much larger. They are jobs today, with average salary twice and a half, three times higher than the average national salary. These are high -added jobs, jobs that can effectively help in social inclusion - defended Praga Nina.
Efficiency
The president of the Brazilian Data Center Association, Renan Lima Alves, said that the improvement in environmental efficiency is no longer a differential, but a requirement for competitiveness in the sector. Data centers without energy concern tend to spend more and be less efficient - and they cant stand the competition.
Representing the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), Cristiana Camaratti recalled that the Brazilian energy matrix has sustainable energies such as wind and solar. She agreed with Senator Vanderlan Cardoso (PSD-GO) about the importance of Brazil to take the moment to attract more external investments to, for example, create sustainable AI date centers.
Vanderlan (who is the rapporteur of PL 3,018/2024, by Styvenson Valentim) reported that the federal government is aware of regulation and willing to discuss tax incentives to the sector, such as exemption from import taxes.
- We seek, with these hearings, to gather the maximum information, data and studies so that the report on this project is aligned with the theme and embraces the demands of the sector, the academy and the government - stressed Vanderlan.
The president of the Brazilian Wind Energy Association, Elbia Gannoum, stressed that many companies in the technological sector already use wind energy. She stressed that wind can be the most competitive energy in the world. According to Gannoum, for every R $ 1 invested in wind energy in Brazil, R $ 3 of GDP increases.
- Brazil is the country that can provide the most abundant and most competitive renewable energy in the world to make the data centers. (...) In the case of wind energy, we had the capacity, along with the public policies that were made of nationalization, to nationalize 80% of the production of an airline. So when this false idea comes that data center does not generate jobs, this is a big mistake, because we have to have a production chain vision, an industrial view - she argued.
Science
Astronaut Senator Marcos Pontes (PL-SP) stated that the theme is of great importance in the world and favors Brazil, which needs development through science and technology, which is the most solid way of growing.
- There are three legs connected, which are cyber security, artificial intelligence and data protection. These three legs needAlways walk together so that we have this growth correctly. Brazil has very special and favorable conditions for the development of data centers here - defended bridges.
The General Coordinator of Digital Innovation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Rubens Caetano, said that the project is in line with the Informatics Law regarding the aggregation of national production value, the increase of sectoral productivity and the search for technological sovereignty of the national economy.
- Artificial intelligence is in the process of expanding and is expected to grow in its next generations. Today we are talking about general artificial intelligence. It still has her next jumps, a general artificial intelligence and, even further, an artificial superintelligence. This is already reaching and will reach even more the various sectors of the economy. It will significantly impact these sectors, the way they act. The productivity of these sectors will be affected by artificial intelligence - emphasized Caetano.
Data
The director of the Department of Digital Transformation and Innovation of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), Cristiane Viann
