Prepare Data Centers for AI & Research Growth

‍INDUSTRY CHALLENGE

AI is transforming many industries, and data centers are central to this shift. The idea of AI or “thinking machines” dates back to 1950*. Fast-forward to 2020, and OpenAI rolls out its GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) large language models, GPT-2 and GPT-3. As we know, the AI surge in recent years is due to generative AI, most notably ChatGPT, a front-end to GPT-3 that generates user-prompted content from text and images to software code and medical imaging analysis.
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Gartner** estimates more than 80% of organizations will have deployed generative AI applications or use generative AI application programming interfaces (APIs) by 2026. These APIs easily enable the integration of AI capabilities into applications organizations use today, catapulting AI in many sectors such as higher education, healthcare, and finance.

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APPROACH

Leading Edge Design Group (LEDG) is working with research-intensive organizations to prepare their digital infrastructure to support the intense demands of generative AI. Using a technology-first approach, the LEDG team evaluates stakeholders and expected use, optional facilities, power, and even land as some leaders aim to create new high-performing computing and innovation centers. Projects include:

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• LEDG is partnering with facilities management and IT leadership at R1-designated research universities to conduct comprehensive evaluations of legacy data center infrastructure. Our strategic assessments focus on opportunities for facility repurposing, renovation, or new construction, while also weighing on-premise versus off-site cloud storage solutions, to future-proof these institutions for the growing demands of AI-driven research and high-performance computing.
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• In response to the increasing computational demand driven by advanced medical devices, digital health, and collaborative research, LEDG is partnering with leading healthcare organizations to modernize core data center infrastructure and deploy strategically located edge data centers with AI inference capabilities able to run AI models close to the source of data generation. This strategy is designed to reduce latency, enhance processing performance, and support evolving clinical operations.
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• Financial services are leading AI adopters due to vast data volumes, security needs, demand for personalized services, and competitive pressure. LEDG has partnered with financial institutions to assess infrastructure, often in dense urban locations serving global customers, aligning computing strategies with AI-driven goals, exploring cloud, build vs. colocation options, and creating year-over-year roadmaps to meet growing demands.
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RESULTS

LEDG’s digital infrastructure services have helped organizations across sectors future-proof operations for AI. At R1 research universities, our assessments enabled scalable AI research environments. In healthcare, AI-optimized edge data centers are reducing latency and enhancing processing. For financial institutions, tailored roadmaps boost agility and real-time AI capabilities. LEDG’s approach drives improved performance, efficiency, and competitive advantage for our clients.

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*The History of AI: A Timeline of Artificial Intelligence | Coursera

** Gartner Says More Than 80% of Enterprises Will Have Used Generative AI APIs or Deployed Generative AI-Enabled Applications by 2026