Data centres may not keep up with AI capacity requirements – analysis

Core Insights - Demand for data centre capacity is expected to exceed supply due to the significant requirements of artificial intelligence (AI) [1][2] - The global cloud computing market, heavily reliant on data centres, is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 17% from 2024 [2] - The emergence of AI is creating new demands on data centre infrastructure, necessitating significant computing power and leading to the development of smaller, localized edge data centres [4] Industry Trends - The tech industry acknowledges that existing data centre infrastructure is nearing its limits, particularly for training larger and more complex AI models [2] - Cloud providers are increasingly investing in custom chips and AI tools to adapt to evolving demands driven by AI, edge computing, and sustainability concerns [3] - The demand for data centres is being fueled by trends such as increased digital services, automation across industries, and the use of integrated networks [3] Construction and Capacity - The number of data centre construction projects remained stable from 2019 to 2024 but is expected to surge in 2025 and 2026 as companies scale up to support growing AI workloads [5] - The power requirements for operating the increasing number of data centre projects pose a significant challenge [5]