Autumn Stanish, Director Analyst at Gartner, examines how AI can transform data centre operations and how the industry is evolving to be more efficient

AI and automation continue to have a significant impact on data centre operations, revolutionising the industry by enhancing efficiency, improving reliability and reducing costs.

Autumn Stanish, Director Analyst at Gartner, works to specifically address digital workplace and IT sustainability trends and strategies.

“ Traditional data centres typically relied heavily on manual processes for tasks, but with the increased adoption of AI and automation, these tasks are now being handled by intelligent systems that can analyse a vast amount of data,” she explains.“ They can use this data to predict potential issues and then optimise performance.”

Meeting rising demands Data centre operators are adapting to invest more in advanced infrastructure to optimise existing facilities. This includes

AI and high-performance computing( HPC), which involves upgrading to more powerful processors.

“ These efficiently manage the massive data sets in intensive AI workloads,” Autumn says.“ It means operators are having to upgrade server and network infrastructure to meet needs with faster data transfer and lower latency.

“ This includes deploying fibre optic connections and implementing edge computing solutions, helping to bring that processing closer to the data source.”

Sustainability by design Amongst the change, data centre operators are having to confront sustainable progress more than ever before. As AI devours energy, operators are investing in renewable energy sources to prioritise efficiency and reduce carbon and waste footprints.

“ New regulations in the UK and EU are pushing data centres to be designed with sustainable principles to make sure the whole ecosystem is as efficient as possible,” Autumn continues.“ Data centres that aren’ t built to certain sustainability standards are being blocked in some regions.”