The surging energy demand for data centers driving the AI boom is raising concerns among some tech business leaders and investors, according to a recent survey and interviews with investment advisers.
“For the first time ever, there’s an external factor that is beginning to limit growth, and that’s energy, plain and simple,” Ocient CEO Chris Gladwin told Newsweek.
Ocient makes software for large data-analyzing systems and conducts an annual survey of more than 500 tech leaders called “Beyond Big Data.” The most recent survey results released Monday reveal a striking change in thinking about energy, Gladwin said.
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More than half of respondents cited energy consumption at data centers as a top concern, and nearly a third said they were switching or upgrading their data warehousing to reduce energy consumption and energy costs.