AI-driven surge in data-centre demand threatens to outpace supply, experts warn
Executives from NTT Data and Brookfield Asset Management say rising AI use is driving data-centre demand that will exceed available capacity, citing power and talent constraints.
During a panel at the Bloomberg New Economy Summit, Abhijit Dubey, CEO of NTT Data, identified electricity grid capacity, energy-storage systems and a lack of qualified electricians and technicians as the chief bottlenecks to new data-centre construction, particularly in India. Connor Teskey, CEO of Brookfield Asset Management, warned that AI-driven compute demand is already outstripping available data-centre space and will continue to do so for years.
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh cautioned that soaring semiconductor prices and intense competition could limit the usefulness of newly built capacity, while also flagging potential public resistance to massive infrastructure projects in Western markets. Sajiv Ahuja of Tillman Global Holdings joined the discussion, underscoring the need for balanced geographic expansion. Despite these challenges, the speakers agreed that capital for data-centre investment remains abundant.
Why it matters
The gap between AI-fuelled data-centre demand and supply could strain power grids and labor markets, affecting digital services worldwide.
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