As the world celebrates Earth Day, Nathan Hall, vice president and general manager of Asia Pacific and Japan at Pure Storage, reminds tech leaders to reflect on their technology choices and their impact on the planet.
"This year's theme, 'Our Power, Our Planet, ' is especially poignant in the wake of the AI revolution. AI is reshaping the world — but it's also pushing data centre energy use to unprecedented levels," he said.
AI and data centres
Hall cites a projection by the International Energy Agency revealing that power consumption from AI and data centres could more than double, hitting the equivalent of Japan's entire electricity consumption of over 1,000 TWh by 2026.
"Data centres were already power-hungry before AI. Storage alone accounts for up to 25% of a data centre's energy use," Hall said.
Perfect alternative?
Hall posits that flash storage is the perfect alternative. He believes it is more widely available, performant, reliable, and longer-lasting than mechanical disks.
"More importantly, flash-based data storage systems use about 90% less power and require 94% less space in data centres," Hall explained.
For Hall, transitioning from disk to flash will save energy, reduce reliance on real estate, and significantly benefit the environment, a crucial concern in a land-scarce country like Singapore.
However, transition hurdles remain, such as IT inertia, outdated incentives, and costs.
"The real costs are hidden: higher electricity use, strain on the power grid, increased CO2 emissions, and more electronic waste… Let's use this Earth Day as an opportunity to re-evaluate our technology choices and ensure that progress does not come at the expense of the environment. It's time to act.," he concluded.
