Connect | APAC // DCD>Major Panel: Balancing sustainability and AI – Can data centers have it all?

The data center industry is facing an undeniable challenge: how to expand digital infrastructure at scale while delivering on sustainability commitments. The rapid adoption of AI is accelerating energy consumption, pushing power grids to their limits, and increasing demand for water-intensive cooling. Can renewable energy sources meet the demands of tomorrow’s AI factories? Can operators build for AI without derailing decarbonization goals, or is the industry entering an era where sustainability takes a back seat to performance?

This panel will explore whether efficiency measures, renewable energy integration, and emerging technologies are enough to counter rising consumption or if a fundamental shift is required. What are the real trade-offs between sustainability and high-performance computing? Are today’s data centers designed for long-term balance, or will operators soon be forced to choose between resilience and environmental responsibility?