Love them or hate them, the massive data centres that enable and power the planet’s growing dependence on access to artificial intelligence platforms are here to stay, and their footprint is likely to expand dramatically through 2026.
Business infrastructure advisory firm, the Uptime Institute, believes that while this development is inevitable, there are some variables that remain unclear.
“Critical digital infrastructure continues to expand strongly,” Andy Lawrence, executive director of research at Uptime Institute, said in a statement.
“At the same time, our research shows uncertainty about how AI will reshape demand. This is complicating both capacity planning and resiliency strategies.
“We are also seeing increasing fragmentation in the design and deployment of data centres and expect investment and innovation in carbon capture technologies, in AI, and automation in the data centre itself.”
Top 5 data centre predictions for 2026
-
The AI ecosystem is consolidating.
Large model AI compute and high-density infrastructure will be increasingly concentrated among a smaller number of larger organisations.
-
Power shortages are inevitable.
Power grids already under pressure will continue to feel the strain as the AI-driven load grows. Onsite power generation is one possible solution; however, lengthy build times will prove a point of constraint.
-
Carbon capture will be a key priority as emissions soar.
Global data centre power demand is expected to grow by 75-125 GW through to 2030. This will drive reliance on gas turbines as a primary power source. Carbon capture will become a practical solution to rising greenhouse gas emissions, as well as an economic one.
-
Scale will be a challenge, but so will resiliency.
The sheer scale, cost, and complexity of deploying high-density infrastructure cast a spotlight on value and cost when it comes to maintaining redundant capacity. However, customers and investors alike will not tolerate risks and threats to availability – nor will grid operators.
-
AI automation in the data centre moves from pilot phase to production.
AI-driven automation within data centres will transition from experimental use to supporting daily operations, though most likely at a gradual rate.
“Reinforcement learning, hybrid digital twins, and early industrial copilots will support closed-loop optimisation and operator decision making, while rules-based systems will handle routine workflows,” the Uptime Institute said.
“But for now, humans will remain in the loop.”
David Hollingworth
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.