This data explosion isn’t just a byproduct of AI; it’s a cycle where AI and data continually fuel each other's growth. Data doesn't exist in a vacuum – storage upholds data and, in turn, upholds all AI innovations. Viewing AI primarily as a compute problem is shortsighted; storage is an integral part of AI workflows and the backbone of data preservation that AI relies on.

As multimodal LLMs and vision models emerge, along with compliance and regional mandates, data becomes richer and more complex. While clouds are the epicenter of AI innovation, the edge and endpoint generate vast data volumes for workloads like visual effects and scientific research. Local storage is essential for speed, privacy and compliance. As AI proliferates, storage will be needed everywhere — in every environment, location and use-case— to manage massive datasets and ensure trustworthy AI.

Given the pivotal role storage—especially hard drives— play in AI innovation and unlocking value in untapped proprietary data, business leaders must prioritise a strategic storage approach within their AI plans.

The Importance of Hard Drives
Hard drives are indispensable in AI storage clusters due to their scalability, cost-efficiency and sustainability. IDC’s Cloud Infrastructure Index 2023 shows that hard drives store 90% of exabytes in the world’s largest data centers. Additionally, 90% of enterprise exabyte workloads include AI data retention, analytics and backup, which require high capacity, yet relatively moderate data processing time. Hard drives, with their competitive cost-per-terabyte, are ideal for supporting these requirements.
Recent advancements in hard drive areal density have enhanced both AI performance and energy efficiency. Storage capacity has tripled within the same footprint, delivering 2.6 times better power efficiency and 3.5 times reduction in embodied carbon per terabyte. These innovations position hard drives as essential, and capital-efficient for delivering the AI exabytes to data centers supporting diverse workloads across various industries.

Optimising AI Storage
To harness AI’s potential, businesses need cost-effective, scalable hard drive solutions for long-term data retention and access. Proactive storage capacity planning and strategic sourcing for the long-term is key for enterprises to unlock the full value of AI data. The most successful businesses will be those who can significantly increase storage capacity while reducing total cost of ownership and environmental impact. Simply feeding AI's voracious appetite for data is not enough – business leaders must ensure their data strategies optimize both efficiency and sustainability to secure a competitive edge.

The Future of AI storage
The future trajectory of AI innovation is intertwined with advancements in storage technology. As AI drives progress, data fuels AI and storage makes this data accessible and actionable. Continued development in storage architecture will be pivotal for realising AI’s potential and empowering businesses to stay ahead at the forefront in this rapidly evolving landscape.