THE DATA CENTRE INTERVIEW

I technologies continue to push the boundaries of what’ s possible, presenting data centres with a new set of challenges and demands. AI’ s growing influence is pressuring enterprises, colocation providers and tech giants to rethink their data centre strategies – and fast. How can an industry navigating rapid transformation shift gears at full speed?

We welcome Thierry Chamayou, VP of Cloud and Service Providers at Schneider Electric, for a deep dive into how operators can enact mission-critical changes amid soaring demand.

The digital age and its unprecedented energy demands As AI cements its role as an essential tool for streamlining significant swathes of tech-driven tasks, the energy tradeoff is immense.

“ While the impact of each query was understood, it was the volume and velocity of those inquiries that became so surprising,” says Thierry.

“ For instance, the Electric Power Research Institute reports that a typical AI query consumes ten times the electricity of a traditional internet search, while generating original music, photos and videos demands magnitudes more power.

“ With 5.45 billion internet users( and counting), the rapid adoption of AI technology drives power consumption to unprecedented levels.”

According to a recent report from McKinsey this increase will be one of the primary drivers for power demand in Europe, with data centres accounting for about 5 % of total European power consumption in the next six years( from approximately 2 % today).

This extreme demand forces the need for new options – and, as importantly, new thinking. The best operators are developing out-of-thebox strategies for accommodating growth while maintaining reliability.

Engineering data centres for the future The ongoing advancement of AI compels data centres to push boundaries and

26 November 2025