Harnessing the right storage infrastructure is vital to unlocking AI’s transformative potential, as Maarten Guijt, VP EMEA at Seagate explains.
The effectiveness of every AI algorithm relies on the seamless flow and integrity of data. To truly unlock AI’s transformative potential, data must be stored not just efficiently, but also intelligently. This symbiotic relationship between data and storage is central to the success of AI.
Additionally, AI doesn’t just rely on storage; it actively drives advancements in storage technology to meet its evolving needs. As AI continues to evolve, its impact on storage technology will only grow, helping organisations navigate their data management in the increasingly data-driven landscape.
AI thrives on a continuous cycle of data generation and consumption, where diverse, high-quality input data fuels smarter, more accurate models. This cycle positions AI as a powerful catalyst for data creation, significantly amplifying the demand for expansive storage solutions. Notably, 72% of organisations globally are leveraging AI, yet a gap looms: between 2024 and 2028, data is expected to grow at a rate of 25%, while storage capacity is projected to expand at a slower compound annual growth rate of 17%.
The imbalance between data growth and storage capacity has profound implications for businesses. Enterprises must develop long-term strategies to ensure their storage infrastructure can support future data demands. Businesses are recognising this struggle, ranking storage as the second most important component of AI infrastructure globally, with only security coming in above. Effective data storage plays an essential role in leveraging AI technologies.
The future of storage
To meet the growing data storage demands fuelled by AI and ensure seamless integration of AI technologies, businesses must adopt innovative storage solutions that are both scalable and efficient. This involves investing in the latest and cutting-edge storage technologies that offer faster data access speeds and improved reliability.
Recent advancements in hard drive areal density have enhanced both performance and energy efficiency. Enterprises can now benefit from unprecedented high storage capacity within the same footprint, delivering better power efficiency and a reduction in embodied carbon per terabyte. These innovations make hard drives essential and capital-efficient for delivering the exabytes to AI data centres handling diverse workloads across various industries.
As data demands grow with the rise of AI, there need to be storage solutions in place to ensure companies are more agile and energy efficient. Companies leveraging these advancements will benefit from more proactive and responsive decision-making processes, giving them a competitive edge.
Scalable storage solutions
A significant 61% of businesses globally who primarily use cloud storage expect their cloud-based storage to increase by over 100% over the next three years. This trend indicates a pressing need for scalable storage solutions to accommodate the rapid growth of data associated with AI technologies. Additionally, of those businesses that have adopted AI technology, 90% worldwide believe that longer data retention improves the quality of AI outcomes. These findings further demonstrate the need for robust storage systems that can effortlessly scale and adapt to evolving demands.
As organisations shift towards more cloud-centric architecture, they must prioritise solutions offering automatic scaling capabilities, enhanced data durability, and seamless integration with existing infrastructures. This ensures that they can not only handle immediate data storage needs but also be agile enough to respond to future data-driven challenges.
Trustworthy AI
88% of businesses globally who use AI today think that the adoption of trustworthy AI requires an increased need to store more data for longer periods of time. This adds another dimension to the conversation about the importance of storage in the era of AI, as organisations need to adapt their storage solutions to better align with this. Ensuring data integrity, security, and compliance will be critical as these trusted systems evolve, and storage infrastructure should be built with these priorities in mind.
AI and storage: A symbiotic relationship
The push towards innovation in data storage has been a long-standing journey. The integration of AI, machine learning, and other cutting-edge technologies into product development and manufacturing has progressively evolved. This evolution is reflected in the widespread implementation of AI solutions on production lines, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and expediting problem-solving for frontline workers.
The next wave of storage solutions is set to be more powerful, extensive, and energy efficient. These advancements will cater to the escalating data storage demands driven by AI. With each technological leap, industry leaders are not just meeting today’s storage needs; they are actively shaping their sectors for the future.
The relationship between AI and data storage is one of mutual reinforcement. AI not only leverages data but also drives the innovations necessary for improved storage solutions, paving the way for organisations to thrive in an increasingly data-driven world. As companies prioritise embedding AI capabilities into their operations, the continuous evolution of storage technologies will be crucial for futureproofing their business model in the years ahead.
