AI Drives Demand for High-Density Computing Infrastructure

Artificial intelligence expansion strains current IT infrastructure, particularly for model training. Published October 6, 2025, a report indicates traditional data centers struggle to meet AI's power and cooling demands. Public clouds and colocation facilities, designed for general computing, often lack the capacity for large AI models. High-performance computing (HPC) emerges as a specialized alternative, offering a way to avoid costly data center upgrades. AI workloads necessitate significant data center redesigns. Increased power density and advanced cooling are crucial. Older infrastructure, capped at 8-10 kW, cannot support AI systems like the DGX H100, which require over 10 kW. Data gravity shifts computation closer to data sources, challenging centralized cloud models. Enterprises should manage AI infrastructure as a portfolio, setting clear service-level objectives. Hybrid deployment strategies, balancing efficient training with proximity-based inference, are also key. Analysts project AI infrastructure spending could exceed $200 billion by 2028, highlighting the importance of adapting to these evolving needs. The report advises a hybrid approach to infrastructure deployment.