Core Insights - The focus of global technology competition has shifted from pure computing power to storage, which is essential for supporting AI applications and large models [2][3] - The explosive growth of AI technology is fundamentally changing the underlying logic of storage demand, with global data expected to exceed 200ZB by 2025 and AI training data growing at an annual rate of 67% [2][3] Storage Industry Transformation - AI's rapid development is leading to a significant increase in storage requirements, with enterprises now needing storage systems that can handle tens to hundreds of PBs [3] - The demand for high-performance storage is surging, with AI training bandwidth requirements entering the "TB-level era," and a projected 300% increase in average storage bandwidth needs by 2025 compared to 2023 [3][8] - Traditional storage architectures are facing challenges, including increased data transport costs and inefficiencies, with GPU utilization rates as low as 40% in some cases [5][9] Challenges in the Storage Sector - The separation of storage and computing architectures is causing significant data transport costs, with energy consumption for data movement accounting for over 50% of total system energy [5] - Cost pressures are evident, as all-flash storage, while necessary for AI performance, remains 2.3 times more expensive than HDDs despite a 40% reduction in unit capacity costs by 2025 [5][9] - The complexity of managing diverse data types in the AI era presents significant governance challenges, characterized by the "4V" attributes: volume, variety, value, and velocity [6] Future Directions in Storage - The storage industry is evolving towards a dual focus on high performance and green transformation, driven by AI demands and sustainability requirements [7][9] - Innovations in high-performance storage are shifting from point optimizations to systemic breakthroughs, with full flash storage becoming a necessity and distributed architectures gaining prominence [8] - Green storage initiatives are becoming essential, with data centers aiming for carbon neutrality and significant increases in the use of renewable energy [9][10] Integration of Storage and Computing - The future of data centers is moving towards a model where storage and computing are integrated, addressing the challenges of architecture and efficiency [12] - The development of a hierarchical heterogeneous storage-computing architecture is anticipated, with solutions aimed at enhancing energy efficiency by up to 300 times [12] - Collaborative storage resource networks are being established, with potential cost reductions of 22% and improved computing utilization rates of 18% through regional cooperation [12][13]