AI is driving increasing energy consumption, but many data centers are not yet ready to handle this evolution. Lenovo dreams out loud about what data centers could look like in thirty years.
Nearly half of IT leaders in EMEA (46 percent) believe their current data center infrastructure provides insufficient support for energy and climate objectives. This emerges from research by Lenovo in collaboration with research firm Opinium.
The growing importance of AI particularly puts pressure on existing designs. Nine out of ten respondents expect AI to significantly increase data consumption, while only 41 percent indicate they are ready to integrate AI efficiently.
Data Sovereignty and Energy Efficiency Determine Future Design
The research shows that 99 percent of IT and C-level decision makers view data sovereignty as a crucial factor in collecting, storing, and processing data. Compliance requirements and data control are becoming increasingly important. Low latency, essential for real-time applications and edge computing, also receives priority from 94 percent of respondents.
Additionally, 92 percent of IT decision makers look to technology partners who help them reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Yet only 46 percent say their current infrastructure supports these objectives. The gap between ambition and reality is widening, especially as AI and automation increase pressure on infrastructure.
Data Spa
The problems identified by IT leaders show that current data center infrastructure is hitting its limits. Creative solutions must be sought. In China, the first fully underwater data center has been put into operation, and American companies dream of data centers in space.
Lenovo collaborated with AKT II and architecture firm Mamou-Mani on future visions for data centers in thirty years. The proposals combine liquid cooling with alternative locations and energy sources. From a data center floating at thirty kilometers altitude to data centers functioning as wellness centers: nothing is too crazy for Lenovo in 2055.
Liquid cooling plays a crucial role in the future of data centers, which according to Lenovo is more efficient than traditional air cooling. The Neptune cooling system could directly remove up to 98 percent of system heat and reduce energy consumption. According to Lenovo, organizations must rethink their infrastructure today. Only this way can they meet the growing need for computing power and stricter sustainability goals.