WHAT’S BUZZING
Organisations unprepared for AI’s energy and data requirements
While more industries are embracing AI, many organisations face a hurdle. They lack the infrastructure to meet the high-performance data demands and energy requirements essential for maximising AI benefits. This challenge complicates the successful implementation of AI, especially in supporting crucial corporate initiatives, such as efforts to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint.
A recent Pure Storage study finds that 73% of IT buyers are unprepared for the energy needs of AI. This same percentage acknowledges the necessity of upgrading data management tools and storage infrastructure for effective AI support, leading nearly all to plan IT infrastructure upgrades. However, 89% struggle to meet sustainability goals due to these upgrades.
“In the age of AI, power and data demands will grow exponentially and investing in the right AI-ready data infrastructure is critical to give your project the best chance of success,” says Nathan Hall, Pure Storage’s vice president for Asia Pacific and Japan. With an energy-efficient, reliable and high-performance infrastructure, organisations will reap the full benefits of AI, keep energy costs in line and stay on track with corporate environmental goals.
AI and cloud transformation are top IT investment priorities for 2024
A study conducted by Rackspace Technology in collaboration with VMware found that, in the coming year, organisations are placing a high priority on deploying AI and undergoing cloud transformation. According to the research, two-thirds of respondents are considering or planning to use generative AI. Additionally, the majority intends to incorporate generative AI into some processes or fully integrate it into all processes within the next 12 months. The anticipated benefits include improvements in cybersecurity, support for new product development, increased productivity, and enhancements to the speed and efficiency of existing work processes.
The survey also highlights an ongoing evolution in companies’ cloud strategies as workloads migrate away from within the organisation’s walls. When asked to compare their current infrastructure with their projected infrastructure composition over the next three years, private cloud rose by 4% while public cloud saw a smaller increase, with concurrent decreases observed in workloads running on other servers, including mainframes and on-premises data centres. Edge computing is also becoming a priority, with 30% of organisations saying it will be part of their IT infrastructure makeup in 12 months.
As companies prioritise AI and cloud, securing and retaining talent remains challenging. Respondents identified a shortage of skilled workers as their leading concern and cited the rapid pace of technology advancement as the leading cause for higher IT labour costs. “This challenge underscores the need for a different workforce strategy that prioritises adaptability, problem-solving, and continuous learning in addition to the latest technical skills to keep pace and drive innovation forward,” says Srini Koushik, president of technology and sustainability at Rackspace Technology.