Alibaba Releases AI for Good Report: Data Center Compute Density Nearly Quintupled in Two Years, Multi-Cancer Screening Model Enters Clinical Use

On November 5, 2026, Chinese technology company Alibaba released its "Alibaba AI for Good Action Report 2026." This is the second consecutive year the company has published such a report, emphasizing that in the era of AI agents, technological development must meet three conditions: "socially acceptable, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable."

Regarding environmental capacity, Wang Chaoyang, General Manager of Global Data Centers at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, disclosed key operational data. The compute density of Alibaba Cloud's self-built data centers has increased from approximately 0.8 kW/m² two years ago to 4.5 kW/m², with a projected target of 9 kW/m² by the end of March 2027. Over the past year, the proportion of clean electricity used in its self-built data centers reached 73.6%. In terms of water resource utilization, the average WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness) for self-built data centers this year was 1.198 liters/kWh, dropping to 0.205 liters/kWh in air-cooling-dominated parks. Additionally, modular construction has compressed the project delivery cycle for data centers to 100 days.

The report also showcased specific cases of medical AI moving from risk screening to clinical assistance. Zhang Ling, Senior Algorithm Expert at DAMO Academy, stated that Alibaba's cancer screening model coverage has expanded from single cancers to high-incidence digestive system cancers such as pancreatic and gastric cancer. In a prospective colorectal cancer trial, AI analysis of 29,783 CT images identified 597 positive cases; after clinical review, 17 lesions were confirmed, including some cases not identified by standard procedures. The model re-analyzes existing CT images without requiring additional scans or radiation exposure.