Connect | Virginia // Keynote Panel: Reality check - The state of AI infrastructure in 2026

With AI infrastructure accelerating at unprecedented rates, how is the industry managing to keep up? This keynote panel provides a candid outlook on where the data center industry stands today.

As hyperscale campuses expand and rack densities climb, investment opportunities are growing to match the size of new projects. Facilities are rapidly evolving, adapting to new cooling approaches and managing hybrid environments while under pressure to deliver efficiency, sustainable operations, and uptime. This panel brings together experts from different corners of the industry to assess the state of the industry and whether it is growing faster than it can sustainably operate.

• AI infrastructure investment opportunities and who is benefiting
• How are operators adapting to increasingly complex, high-density environments?
• The role of cooling in operational efficiency and long-term sustainability outcomes
• Whether the industry's operational capabilities are keeping pace with its ambitions