Data Centers of the Future: AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning
Technology does not slow down. In fact, it speeds up. It was only a few years ago that cloud technology was the latest and greatest technological feature for data storage, for example. However, today, as we look toward the data centers of the near future, we start to delve into artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning. This is a very interesting field where things are changing substantially. They are also changing faster than many have anticipated.
The March of Technology
While the concept for artificial intelligence has been around for quite a while, it was not until the past few decades that there was any truly impressive headway made in the field. The creation of search engines, advances in robotics, and even speech recognition software have all helped to improve AI in different ways.
Machine learning and deep learning started to become more prominent in recent years, as well. Machine learning is a subset of AI, where deep learning is a subset of machine learning. Both machine and deep learning have similar principles.
With a machine learning algorithm, a person would create a model and then provide that model, along with training data, to an artificially intelligent machine. The machine will then use the training to make predictions based on the model. It can even fine-tune the model to help with the training results if needed. When it comes to deep learning, the algorithms break down data and create what is known as nested neural networks. Essentially, with deep learning, the algorithm will take a complex idea and then continue breaking it down to the simplest parts possible.
What About Data Centers?
Now, you might be wondering just what this will have to do with data centers now or in the future. The truth is that the advances of artificial intelligence and these other technologies are affecting data centers all around the world. AI applications need data centers to provide computational power, and there are applications that are being developed that will help to improve the data centers.
With machine learning and deep learning, there is a greater need for high-quality microprocessors and servers today. Because of the growth of these fields, there are some companies that are looking to build data centers specifically as a way to provide for the needs of machine learning and deep learning.
In addition, artificial intelligence has helped some data centers to become more energy efficient. Google even stated that it was able to reduce their energy expenditures by 40% through the use of deep learning. Their Deepmind AI controls more than 100 variables in their data center. This includes things like the fans, the cooling systems, and similar items. Through deep learning, there is finer, automatic control over those systems that will reduce the amount of energy that is used. These types of benefits are likely to be seen by other data centers that start to put AI to use.
Of course, AI can also help with optimizing servers and equipment thanks to predictive analysis. It can also help to improve data center security. In the near future, it may be possible for AI, machine learning, and deep learning applications to make improvements to security. Eventually, it will likely even be possible for there to be AI operators and robots performing all of the work at the facility, or at least a lot of the work.
Technology is advancing rapidly, and there is a good chance that the way that data is stored in the future will be vastly different from what it was a few years ago, or even today. One thing will not likely change, though, and that is the need for data storage.