Strategic data management remains key as AI adoption revs up in APAC

IT leaders across the Asia-Pacific region acknowledge the essential role of strategic data management in effectively unlocking the full value of AI, a significant surge in AI adoption among enterprises in the region, according to a survey report from Digital Realty.

Conducted between October 30 and December 4, 2023, the survey covered 2,000 IT leaders across 21 countries including Australia, India, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea.

Results show that although many enterprises in Singapore (46%), South Korea (66%), and Hong Kong (45%) rate themselves as mature in AI adoption, only a quarter of enterprises in the region consider their current AI use to be transformative. 

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This suggests a strong need for greater investment in digital infrastructure to unlock AI’s full potential.

The survey revealed that 65% of companies in the region are actively executing a formal data strategy for their current or planned IT locations, with 77% of APAC companies adopting a distributed data approach to tackled “data gravity” challenges.

Among firms, 72% are incorporating data location strategies into their AI plans, allowing them to place high-density storage and processing capacity in key locations to maximise AI’s performance. 

Additionally, 56% plan to expand their infrastructure in one to five more locations within the next two years. 

This expansion will enable adherence to data sovereignty regulations, and allow them to scale AI workloads crucial for their future digital infrastructure plans.

As organisations prioritise data-driven initiatives, further investment in digital infrastructure is necessary to fully harness the potential of AI. 

Infrastructure hurdles continue to impede the success of AI investments in the region, with over half (56%) of APAC enterprises lacking the digital infrastructure required for both data and AI success.

Key infrastructure challenges include insufficient data storage for large AI datasets (64%); inadequate computational power for AI processing (55%); and ensuring reliable connections to distributed data sources (49%).

To achieve data and AI success, IT leaders in Asia Pacific emphasise the need for data centre providers to enable secure data exchange between users, networks, clouds, and IT providers on a single data center platform. 

Key requirements they shared include infrastructure capable of managing AI’s power and energy demands for data storage, processing, and hosting (51%); proximity of high-performing AI workloads to data and users (46%); and compliance with AI and data privacy regulations (45%).

Serene Nah, managing director and head of APAC for Digital Realty, businesses are realising that AI is not just a buzzword, but a strategic imperative for driving innovation and growth. 

“The key to success lies in a data-centric infrastructure that can seamlessly integrate data from various sources, deliver high-performance computing, and ensure robust connectivity,” said Nah.