Artificial intelligence, or AI, is practically now a household name, and it’s changing the way we think about work, communication, and even innovation. It takes a lot of power and infrastructure to fuel these systems, however, and they wouldn’t be possible without the data center. These structures are the powerhouses that enable AI, but what does a data center for AI look like?

The Systems That Power AI

With AI being so resource-intensive, data centers have to be designed to meet these needs. Here’s what it looks like:

• Massive training - An AI model needs training, and that training requires petabytes of data. This training also requires immense, consistent, and low-latency computing power, all of which is possible through interconnected devices and specialized processors, all of which occurs in a data center.
• Low-latency interference - After training, the model becomes available to the public. Every instance of an AI query is called interference, and this requires a network that can deliver near-instantaneous speed. This is why a data center is so important.
• Scalability and resilience - With the demand for AI increasing over time, data centers allow these solutions to scale and grow alongside that demand. This is done so services can be reliable and available whenever they are needed. Data centers also allow for powerful cooling and security systems that safeguard this valuable hardware and data.

All of this contributes to the AI boom we’re seeing today, and it certainly wouldn’t be possible without data centers. That said, it all poses an interesting question…

Is AI Worth the Data Center Expansion?

Data centers might be technological marvels, but their expansion in conjunction with AI’s massive demands on their computing power has created a unique set of challenges, chief among them being economic growth versus environmental and local impact. Let’s look at the pros and cons of data centers.

The Pros

There are quite a lot of benefits to consider, especially for the communities and regions where data centers are located. Here are a few of them:

• Economic catalyst - Data center construction isn’t cheap, but they do inject some capital into their communities. States and municipalities are always trying to attract opportunities to host these structures, frequently offering incentives to further boost these metrics.
• Job creation - Data centers require a lot of specialized technical expertise, which creates a large number of jobs for skilled, permanent staff in areas such as operations, maintenance, and security. Let’s not forget the temporary jobs, either, in industries such as construction and engineering.
• Infrastructure improvement - These facilities require vast amounts of power, and developers will use these opportunities to invest in local power grids, roads, and fiber-optic networks, all of which benefit the surrounding community and make it more attractive for businesses.
• Global innovation - With more AI development comes more innovation across the world. Data centers can lead to breakthroughs of all kinds.

The Cons

However, the scale of AI has created serious challenges that have been brought into public discourse:

• Energy consumption - AI has significantly increased energy consumption and demand. A new data center can use as much electricity as a small city and puts a large strain on power grids. This means that even more fossil fuels need to be burned just to keep up, which is counterproductive to sustainability efforts.
• Water usage - Data centers consume millions of gallons of water every year for the purpose of cooling all the heat-generating equipment. In drought-prone areas, this is a major concern, as it puts more strain on local water supplies and creates complications regarding water rights.
• Local community impact - Such large structures also take up huge plots of land, which takes it off the table for other uses, like for agriculture, residential, or industrial purposes. Add in issues with noise pollution from cooling systems and backup generators (many of which rely on diesel) and you have a disaster that impacts residents who live nearby.
• Resource centralization and e-waste - AI being leveraged in this way—in a few large data centers owned by the biggest technology companies in the world—creates substantial barriers for smaller organizations, especially when you consider how much e-waste comes from rapidly progressing technology solutions.

So while data centers are potent tools to enable the growth of AI and other technological innovations, they remain somewhat controversial. What’s not controversial is that this technology is not going anywhere, and you need to embrace it if you want to remain competitive. Reach out to First Column IT today to discover new ways to use AI for your business’ benefit.

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