Group 1: AI and Data Center Energy Consumption - The development of generative AI is reshaping business processes and digital models across industries, while also increasing demands on underlying computing infrastructure [1] - IDC estimates that by 2027, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for AI data center capacity will reach 40.5%, with energy consumption expected to grow at a CAGR of 44.7%, reaching 146.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) [1] - In 2024, global data centers are projected to consume 415 TWh of electricity, accounting for 1.5% of total global electricity consumption [1] Group 2: Cooling Systems and Power Consumption - Prior to the surge in AI demand, cooling systems in data centers accounted for 40% of energy consumption, with AI servers' power per rack increasing from 10 kW to over 50 kW, surpassing traditional cooling limits [2] - Microsoft Azure found that the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of traditional air-cooled data centers increased from 1.3 to 1.8 after deploying H100 GPUs, leading to server outages in high-heat areas [2] Group 3: Innovations in Data Center Design - The data center industry is undergoing transformation to improve energy efficiency, with a focus on reducing power consumption of auxiliary equipment and utilizing idle computing power effectively [4] - Companies like Huawei are exploring innovative designs, such as building data centers in mountains to reduce cooling costs, while others like Hailanxin are constructing underwater data centers to leverage seawater for cooling [5] Group 4: Underwater Data Centers - Microsoft pioneered underwater data centers, achieving a PUE of 1.07 and a failure rate one-eighth that of land-based centers, demonstrating the effectiveness of natural cooling [6] - Hailanxin's underwater data center project in Hainan aims for a PUE of approximately 1.1, with energy consumption reduced by over 10% and efficiency improved by up to 30% [6] Group 5: Cost Efficiency and Environmental Impact - Underwater data centers can lower total cost of ownership (TCO) by 15-20% compared to land-based centers, with significant annual savings on electricity and land costs [6][7] - The recovery of waste heat from underwater data centers can also support local fisheries and create additional economic value [7] Group 6: Operational Challenges and Solutions - Despite the advantages, underwater data centers face operational challenges due to their isolation, necessitating costly retrieval for maintenance [8] - Hailan Cloud is developing a 2.0 version of underwater data centers that allows for easier maintenance access while maintaining operational stability [9] Group 7: Integration with Computing Platforms - The construction of computing power scheduling platforms is becoming essential as companies shift from building their own infrastructure to purchasing computing power [10] - The integration of underwater data centers with computing platforms is seen as a potential solution to enhance efficiency and meet the growing demands of AI applications [11]