AI hardware · Layer
Data centers
The buildings that house AI systems, supplying power, networking, and cooling at scale. AI has shifted data center design toward far higher power density per rack and far larger total site power.
Key facts
- AI racks draw many times the power of traditional servers, pushing sites toward tens or hundreds of megawatts.
- The constraint for new capacity is increasingly the electrical grid connection and power availability, not the building itself.
- Hyperscalers (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta) and specialized operators are building dedicated AI campuses.
- Siting decisions now hinge on access to cheap, abundant, and ideally low-carbon power.
Where it bottlenecks
Grid power and interconnection timelines are the dominant limit on new AI data center capacity in many regions.
Who dominates it
MicrosoftGoogleAmazonMeta