Scaling liquid cooling for AI workloads

In a discussion hosted by Emma Brooks of DCD, Phil Lawson-Shanks of Aligned Data Centres and Ken Patchett of Lambda examined the industry shift from traditional air cooling to liquid and hybrid systems in data centers, driven by the increasing power demands of AI workloads. They discussed how next-generation chips, like NVIDIA's Blackwell, necessitate new cooling strategies due to their high power densities, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and scalability in data center design. The conversation highlighted the transformational opportunities liquid cooling offers for efficiency and sustainability, as well as the need for updated operational procedures and skill sets to manage these technologies. Both experts noted the rapid evolution of data center infrastructure to accommodate future AI capabilities, stressing the importance of collaboration between data center operators and hyperscalers to support the ongoing technological renaissance.