The Future of AI in the Data Center

Artificial Intelligence technology has been advancing over the past couple of years and is being implemented in many industries, including data centers.

Google, for instance, is using artificial intelligence in order to make their data center framework more efficient. In fact, they are incorporating the artificial intelligence technology from their self-driving cars and smart assistants into their data centers.

Energy Efficient Data Centers

It is known that data centers burn massive amounts of energy, but the use of artificial intelligence is helping data centers be more efficient in this regard. Improving energy efficiency will also improve a data center’s environmental impact.

Artificial Intelligent systems are now being used to analyze how Google’s data centers are working in real time. These AI neural networks use algorithms to analyze the system, diagnose the problem, and then make changes immediately after to solve the problem. Not only do these artificial intelligent systems work straight away, but they also learn from the problem to solve it even faster then next time, or stop it from occurring again. This is called deep learning.

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Artificial Intelligence: Deep Learning

Deep learning is the term that describes how artificial intelligent systems actually learns from situations they encounter. Through learning from its experiences, deep learning helps the AI system with future problem-solving.

This software attempts to simulate the way a human brain works. This software learns by identifying patterns in data including images and sounds. This helps the AI system decide the best way for a data center to operate.

What Do Experts Think About AI In Data Centers Currently?

Although artificial intelligent systems within data centers have helped on some level; many industry executives still feel that AI technology is not quite where it needs to be.

According to Erich Sanchack of Digital Realty: “Implementation of AI in the data center will move us well beyond current DCIM systems and their limitations. Using AI we can create an environment in which not only are all of power and facilities decisions and processes completely optimized but that our resource planning and even advanced functions like dynamic bandwidth and server allocation are fully automated as well.

According to Jack Pouchet of Vertiv: “True artificial intelligence is a long way from reality, and the cons are all too easy to define. Just think HAL 9000 and Skynet. But we need not even look that far as there are numerous real-world examples almost on a weekly basis of automation going awry.

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How Does AI Currently Work within a Data Center?

Presently, one of the primary ways that artificial intelligence is being used within data centers is for energy efficiency. Google’s use of AI has been able to cut down their energy use by 40 percent. For a company as large as Google, a 40 percent savings could save millions of dollars.

Another way that artificial intelligence is being used within data centers is for server optimization. Because of Deep Learning software, AI can use predictive analysis to help data centers distribute the workload.

Maybe one of the most important ways that artificial intelligence is being used is for data center security purposes. Data centers always have to be ready for cyber threats. Unlike humans, artificial intelligent systems can be on the lookout 24/7 and stay on top of all data threats.

Monitoring these threats can take a lot of time and human resources, but AI systems are changing the way data centers are dealing with the issue of security.

Currently, many data centers and colocation providers use an infrastructure management solution that monitors many aspects of their system. Some of the things that a DCIM solution can manage are security, temperature and cooling, fire hazard, and ventilation. Managing all of these things is difficult even for a DCIM. The idea of having an AI and DCIM combination system seems to be very promising.

Artificial Intelligent Powered Data Center Operator

Data centers occupy much space and managing it can also be a difficult task. LitBit is introducing, Dac, the first AI-powered data center operator that could solve all of these problems. The potential cost for a company to run a data center (manpower alone) could be several hundred thousand dollars. Dac will significantly lower this company cost. Dac will use an Internet of Things type of system that will help identify anything wrong with the data center operations. Dac will also be able to recognize any loose electric wires, water leaks in the cooling system, and even possible power failures.

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What Does AI Mean for Data Center Workers?

One of the negative aspects of new technology is that certain jobs become obsolete. If the AI-powered data center operator can do all of these jobs, the need for some of the data center workers may be gone. Since the future of artificial intelligent managed data centers seems to be inevitable, the loss of certain data center jobs also seems unavoidable as well. Although there will continue to be a loss of on-site jobs due to artificial intelligent systems, there will be an increase of jobs in the artificial intelligence industry.

Conclusion

There are many pros about having an artificial intelligent managed data center, including an overall improvement in data management and data storage, and we are getting closer and closer to the reality of that. The data center and colocation companies would be saving money, but in time will lose its human touch.

Currently, Machine Learning is doing a good job of managing the systems that it can manage, but the industry believes artificial intelligence will be able to manage a data center completely. Overall, an artificial intelligent managed data center seems to be a positive step forward for the data center industry. Through artificial intelligence, each company will save money on manpower; they will also become more energy efficient, and even lessen the usage of fossil fuels.