Artificial intelligence has seen tremendous growth in the past several years. As it grows, so do the demands on the data infrastructures that support them. One of the most significant impacts of AI in IT infrastructure is the construction of massive new data centers. With companies needing more robust solutions to process and store the data they collect, there is an increase in the need for data centers.
AI in IT Infrastructure Increases Data Demands
Artificial intelligence in IT infrastructure requires massive amounts of data. These data sets are large and need to be processed quickly, which increases the demand on current IT infrastructure. As processing becomes more complex and demands more computational power, data centers must evolve to be able to handle more advanced computing.
This can affect your current infrastructure in several ways. For example, as your company grows, you must find a data center provider that can handle the amount of data you need to process at an acceptable speed.
Growth of AI Companies
​​AI companies are expanding faster than ever before and demanding data centers with sufficient capacity. This is not just for the tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, but also for small start-ups and mid-sized companies scaling up their AI capabilities. As companies grow, so do their needs for data centers, which allow them to perform all their functions from research and development to delivering their end products to users.
As your company grows its AI usage, you will need to beef up all aspects of your current system infrastructure, not just your reliance on data centers. That can include your in-house IT equipment. Equal Optics offers OEM-compatible infrastructure solutions that allow you to affordably expand your current capacity. Our enterprise solutions include optical networking equipment that provides lightning-fast data transfer speeds.
Strategic Locations for Data Centers
The location of data centers must become more strategic. They must be close to major connectivity hubs, have access to grid power, and have the right climate to ensure they can reliably process data. Because data centers must increase their ability to process data quickly while decreasing their latency, these tend to appear either close to their primary user base or in locations that make land and energy more affordable.
If you are in a location that is currently near a data center, you will have no trouble getting faster service. However, if you are in a location further away, you might have trouble accessing one of these processing centers, which can slow down your ability to use AI in your business. That might mean relocating your IT department or entire business to a location that is more strategic.
The alternative would be to construct your own in-house data center. These require a dedicated team of professionals who understand the effects of AI in IT infrastructure. They also require a significant investment of resources to build the infrastructure needed to support storage and high-speed data transfer and processing.
IT Infrastructure Impacts Real Estate Markets
The demand for real estate for data centers is impacting the real estate market by creating data corridors. Areas that have established infrastructure for data centers and loose regulations allowing for this type of business are seeing real estate investors and developers come in and overtake the local real estate markets. The demand is driving up the price of real estate and encouraging specialized industrial corridors focused on providing data centers.
Unfortunately, this can have significant negative impacts on some companies that find themselves priced out of the commercial real estate market. It makes land more expensive near data corridors as businesses try to compete with each other to have the fastest data processing and AI systems. Large corporations are going to have the best chances of getting this real estate while smaller enterprises may have to consider alternatives.
Sustainability Concerns With AI
As the demand for data centers increases, so do the concerns about energy consumption and sustainability. Technology, building designs, and energy sources must become more innovative and adapt to these demands when new data centers are going into place. Most companies want to expand their system capacity while minimizing their environmental impact and aligning with global sustainability goals.
A great option for becoming more environmentally sustainable is to go with a newer data center with high-efficiency standards. Despite their tremendous power demands, some use renewable energy sources. If this is not an option, you can focus on increasing sustainability in other areas to ensure your business remains environmentally friendly.Â
A Challenging Future Outlook
The future of AI in IT infrastructure looks promising but challenging. The industry must adapt to the growing demands caused by AI, which is going to require more innovative approaches to overcome sustainability challenges and growing infrastructure.
AI poses a threat to businesses because it puts more reliance on data processing, which is typically done at outsourced data centers. These must meet strict security standards to prevent data leaks that can create issues for a business.
The increase in real estate prices will also present a challenge for smaller and mid-sized companies. If demands for data centers continue to grow at a rapid pace, that could create supply issues, which can limit infrastructure capacities for companies.
This can affect your current system infrastructure by forcing it to become more robust, meaning an upgrade in physical parts and software. It also means that you will need to think about ways to increase the environmental sustainability of your data security solutions. Finally, all businesses could face a limit to infrastructure capacities as data processing cannot keep up with demand.
Incorporate AI in IT Infrastructure Systems
The boom in artificial intelligence is driving up the demand for data centers and reshaping current system infrastructure in a variety of ways. While it presents great opportunities for companies to grow, it also presents challenges that they must overcome. In the future, the availability of high-powered data centers could become more difficult to find unless you are near a data corridor.
EqualOptics provides cutting-edge technology components to small-, mid-, and enterprise-level businesses. We carry a full line of IT infrastructure components to help you embrace the changes brought on by AI in IT infrastructure. Shop online or contact us to set up a consultation.
