PodChats for FutureCIO: AI’s impact on data centres in Asia

The Global Data Centre Outlook report from JLL suggests that the mass adoption of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) is driving exponential growth for the data centre sector.

The report posits that the demand for data centre capacity to support AI is growing rapidly, with most research reports indicating that the global data centre market for AI is expected to grow at CAGR 25%+.

Eric Hui, Director, IOT Business Development, Asia-Pacific, Equinix shares his perspectives on the impact of the artificial intelligence boom on data centres in Asia.

1. How is Generative AI impacting the data centre (DC) industry in Asia? 

a. Please identify the top 3 opportunities.

2. What are the technological requirements—design, location, etc.—for AI-ready DCs? What changes should DC operators implement to support the demand? [Segment between hyperscalers and colocation DCs]

3. What are the top 3 challenges in developing AI-ready DCs in Asia, and how do you see the industry managing the (a) challenges and (b) opportunities?

4. How well placed is the DC [hyperscalers and colocation DCs] industry to achieve sustainable growth?

5. DCs have gone through several revolutionary waves: the internet, virtualization, and the cloud. What is the future of DCs? [2024-2026]
6. How do you see security issues/concerns impacting data centre developments?