Here are three predictions for AI and quantum AI development in the near future — amid an energy crisis that may implode…
It is undeniable that AI will continue to be a pervasive force in 2025.
From boardroom to the classroom and to the home, AI will remain ubiquitous in our daily lives. Already a pertinent tool in various industries, AI’s reach extends to the quantum realm, where its integration promises to unlock unprecedented potential for innovation.
However, the Cloud will stay as the cornerstone, providing the necessary infrastructure to harness the power of these technologies and deliver tangible benefits to individuals and the society.
With these premises we offer the following technology predictions for the year.
- An AI gold rush in South-east Asia
- Is the dawn of a quantum AI revolution near?
- A looming energy crisis in data centers
Generative AI (GenAI) has irrevocably reshaped numerous industries, and South-east Asia (SEA) stands at the forefront of this technological revolution. In 2025, we anticipate a significant surge in the adoption of AI agents.
These intelligent systems are poised to streamline workflows, boost efficiency, and deliver unparalleled value to both businesses and consumers. Already, we are seeing promising applications across various industries, from customer-facing chatbots to internal tools that assist employees in their daily tasks — even outside of traditionally tech-centric industries.
By bridging GenAI capabilities with real-world execution, AI agents can help unlock AI’s full potential. The rise in AI agents will ultimately lead to a significant increase in the amount of data that is created and utilized. With more data generated than ever before, and new data sources emerging, increasing amounts of data will become scattered across disparate systems, limiting its accessibility and utility: unless governed by robust infrastructure and a trusted cloud.
Moreover, the sheer volume of data will place increasing demands on data centers, necessitating scalable storage and processing capabilities.
Gen AI has undoubtedly moved the needle forward in so many ways, but it is just one of the several groundbreaking technologies shaping the future of businesses. Quantum computing, a revolutionary technology with the potential to transform industries and solve complex problems beyond the reach of classical computers, is also rapidly evolving.
Although still in its infancy, remarkable progress is being made in both hardware and software, signaling the dawn of a new era in computing that promises unprecedented speed, power and innovation.
The Asia Pacific region is at the forefront of the global quantum computing race, driven by increasing investments, robust research ecosystems, and a growing number of quantum startups and collaborations.
As quantum computers mature, we can expect to see increasing integration with AI into quantum AI. This convergence has tremendous potential from optimizing complex financial models to accelerating drug discovery, with the ability to revolutionize industries.
While GenAI and quantum computing are revolutionizing technology, they are also fueling a data explosion. Data centers, already struggling to keep pace, face an even greater challenge as businesses accelerate their digital transformation. These facilities, already energy-intensive, consume 1 to 1.5% of global electricity, with potentially significant implications on energy use from AI and ML in upcoming years.
In fact, as the immense computational demands of AI and quantum workloads require substantial processing power and storage capacity, the resulting heat output necessitates increased energy consumption to maintain optimal operating temperatures. This will strain cooling systems, escalating energy consumption, and exacerbating overall data centre energy usage.
In SEA, cooling data center systems alone accounts for 40% of energy consumption, 10% more than the global average. Furthermore, some data suggest that over 95% of data center in the region still use traditional air-cooling despite its recognized higher expenditure, as opposed to the more efficient water cooling.
Concurrently, governments worldwide are increasingly recognizing the need for cleaner energy sources, with hydrogen fuel cells emerging as a promising alternative to fossil fuels.
As environmental concerns take precedence on business agendas, it becomes imperative for businesses to prioritize green data centers designed to optimize energy efficiency, scalability and environmental sustainability.
By implementing advanced cooling technologies, data center operators can significantly reduce water and electricity consumption, thereby minimizing their environmental impact. By investing in energy-efficient infrastructure and adopting eco-friendly practices, the industry will be able to achieve long-term success and ensure that digital ambitions are not curtailed by avoidable setbacks.
