Deploying Next-Gen Data Centres in an AI-Driven World

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is back in the spotlight with next-gen innovations, built to boost daily productivity of businesses, and more. When ChatGPT first launched in 2022, it opened our eyes to the whole new world of AI. Since then, we have seen advanced digital capabilities with the potential to reshape the global economy, quickly becoming a dominant force for growth beyond the information technology (IT) field.

From AI-powered chatbots to ongoing deployments of large language models (LLMs) and the growing use of Generative AI (GenAI), these advancements allowed AI to break through barriers and explore uncharted territories of growth. Amazingly, the world was quick to accept and adopt AI too, leading businesses to deploy high-performance digital innovations that enhance operations. Some even initiated development programmes to elevate AI-powered solutions to new heights.

Much like a seamless domino effect, the rapid growth of the digital economy over the past decade has accelerated the rollout of data centres, especially in the last 36 months. This is particularly evident in Southeast Asia, with big tech companies investing heavily in new deployments in Malaysia and Thailand. This surge has ushered in a second renaissance of AI, making it a crucial player in today’s technological landscape. ‘With the emergence of GenAI and next-gen AI innovations, demand is set to rise even higher,’ wrote McKinsey & Company in the introductory note of its industry report on AI.

 

Diverse AI Development for a Brighter Future

When AI introduced a wave of next-gen innovations, fresh possibilities were handed to businesses on a silver platter. Companies eagerly adopted GenAI platforms, developed proprietary LLMs, and rolled out other AI-powered solutions. This transformation sparked a surge in demand for computational resources, making them a staple in the industry.

 

AI Data Centres: Pioneering the Future of High-Performance Computing

The development of AI Data Centres, designed to prioritise AI-first operational capabilities, directly tackles the huge performance and capacity demands of AI and its next-gen solutions. Over the past year, we have seen a rapid rollout of AI Data Centres, powered by existing platforms with newly revamped infrastructure.

While the concept of AI Data Centres may still be relatively new, AIMS Data Centre, a long-time local trailblazer in Malaysia, has demonstrated its capability to deploy these advanced facilities. For both our Malaysia and Thailand operations, we have established the necessary infrastructure and capacity to meet the growing demands of AI and its next-gen innovations.

As AI adoption continues to soar, AI-ready data centres will ensure there is enough capacity to meet the growing demand for advanced computing capabilities. More importantly, ongoing industry expansions have inspired new innovations in next-gen data centres, continuing to support and update highly supportive digital-first policies and frameworks.

However, these infrastructure upgrades and the creation of new data centre capacities have sparked concerns about power shortages, likely due to the cooling needs of high-performance systems.

A recent study from Goldman Sachs Research concurred that the new AI revolution and its next-gen innovations are expected to increase power consumption by 160% by 2030. In the report, it illustrated how overall energy consumption for data centres is expected to rise from 3% to 4% by the end of this decade. While these market studies highlight how AI power consumptions are climbing to new heights, it also reiterated that digital innovation is reinforcing data centres as the foundation of next-gen economic development.

 

Leading the Way Forward with Impactful AI Innovations

With businesses aggressively advancing their digitalisation efforts, it is safe to say they are well-equipped to create new innovations that streamline workflows and enhance performance.

New AI-powered innovations have reaffirmed evolving trends in various digital transformations. These range from digitalised productivity in areas like sales, marketing, and user engagement, to data management and protection. Additionally, digitised payments and financial services, including e-wallets, e-commerce, and next-gen digital invoicing, payroll, and financing, are integral to this transformation.

From announcing plans to incentivise the development of AI Data Centres to considering scorecard metrics for these initiatives, Malaysia is also making big moves to boost its AI ecosystem by updating its digital economic policies and creating a comprehensive framework. This was highlighted during the launch of Malaysia’s new National AI Office (NAIO), which oversees policy shaping, address regulatory issues, and drive growth in next-gen cloud and AI services.

When it comes to rapid adoption of AI and wider push for digitalisation, efforts to improve current regulations are already in progress. With the goal of advancing its socio-economic development, Malaysia is already updating its digital frameworks and drafting new regulations to support the second coming of AI.

 

The Future of AI and Data Centres: 2025 and Beyond

AI and new data centre deployments are becoming key topics in the digital economy, playing a significant role in Malaysia’s growth. With the launch of its own NAIO and leadership in developing AI-focused industry policies, Malaysia is poised to take the lead in next-gen AI development. The country is focusing on AI-centric data centre development, positioning itself as a main collaborator for AI projects in Southeast Asia.

Despite signs of a global economic slowdown, Malaysia is bucking the trend, benefiting from the data centre and AI boom. This surge is driving new deployments, with the data centre ecosystem concentrating on next-gen innovations, supportive digital solutions, and the latest regulatory compliances for this fast-growing market.

This proactive approach ensures readiness to meet the growing demand for high-performance computing, supports sustainability efforts, and sets the pace for new regulations and compliances. Malaysia’s proactive approach in AI and data centre development is set to drive significant growth, innovation, and leadership in the digital economy.