AI is here to stay and is slowly becoming a part of our daily lives. But are we completely ready for the transformation Artificial Intelligence (AI) brings to our daily lives?
From virtual assistants to chatbots, AI has seamlessly integrated into our routines, but what about its impact on the backbone of our digital infrastructure – data centers? Are we equipped to navigate the impending AI revolution as data center professionals? Let’s dive deeper into the evolving landscape of AI and its implications for data centers.
Exploring AI’s impact
How does AI influence data centers beyond its familiar applications in daily life and business operations? The tricky thing about AI is that it is not a single piece of platform from a deployment perspective; it has two distinct phases. First is the learning or training phase, and then is the application stage, where it applies what it learned. All this will result in hefty demand, and meeting this elevated demand will be an upheaval task for Data Center professionals.
If you take a closer look at the data here, the exponential growth of Data Centers in the present and the near future gives a pleasing image. It shows the industry’s readiness for the rise in requirements due to AI and all possible technological advancements. However, various industry leaders have had their concerns, especially when discussing hosting a mammoth quantity of servers and considering cooling techniques to combat the heat generated by them. If we consider a Google AI report in that case, there will be up to a 40% reduction in energy consumption for cooling and a 40% faster workload provisioning. But we will need to see if it happens soon, as data centers have mainly managed considerably consistent workloads.
Navigating challenges with innovative solutions
Amidst microprocessor shortages and finite resources, how can data center professionals mitigate obstacles to accommodate AI-driven expansion? We at ESDS are ahead of the curve as our R & D team has already worked on it and developed our flagship solution, eNlight 3600. It is based on our triple-patented platform that, through AI & ML, smartly monitors and enables operators to orchestrate their infrastructure accordingly. We are trying to overcome a significant shortfall through this, as we all know about the importance of microprocessors and graphic processing units (GPU) and the buzz their shortfall creates. So the next question is, what strategies are being implemented to address data center shortages and optimize resource allocation? Though the government is taking substantial steps to overcome this shortfall, we are trying to initiate a process to provide India’s AI cloud as a cloud service provider. But, this will take some time, and the shortage of microprocessors will be a pain point for some time. Accompanying this will be the data center shortages, not just because of the lack of hardware but also because of the finite power and land resources that a country like India has. These are not unsolvable issues; the solutions need time and hefty investment. Remember that coping will be a massive task with the speed at which AI spreads its roots in businesses and our daily lives.
Looking at the opportunities
Data Center service providers and professionals need not hit the panic button. Instead, we are looking to scale our infrastructure and technology, keeping this boosting demand in mind. After all, we, too, have learned our lessons in the post-pandemic phase and are ready with our fleet of armor to face whatever challenges come our way, right from procuring bigger and better campuses to even delivering edge data center facilities to suit the customers’ needs. Then, there will be a need for innovation for various sections of data center operations like cooling technology and overall infrastructure that the industry needs to consider. Remember the preparedness for the data security challenges that AI is going to pose, but yes, there is also the use of AI that will enable us to tackle it. If we look at AI as a challenge, it also presents a chance for Data Center service providers to provide better services and solutions for our customers.
Focussing on the AI-powered future
As we are witnessing an AI-driven complete shift, data center professionals must look for innovation and scalability to meet the evolving demands of the digital ecosystem. By encompassing the transformative potential of AI, we can not only face the challenges but also look for new opportunities for growth and advancement in data center operations.
Piyush Somani is the Managing Director and Chairman of ESDS Software Solution Ltd.
Image Source: Freepik