Escaping the Matrix: AI and Submarine Cables

We at the moment are shifting from sci-fi to actuality with the launch of many AI providers which can be poised to remodel industries and reshape our every day lives.

Whereas knowledge facilities are increasing quickly to assist AI necessities, there’s much less readability on how AI may affect long-haul community infrastructure, particularly submarine cables.

That is precisely what I delved into throughout my keynote at Submarine Networks World 2024.

On this presentation, I checked out three massive questions:

1. How massive are AI coaching knowledge units and fashions?

To know AI’s potential affect on submarine cables, we should think about the sheer measurement of coaching knowledge and fashions.

I used to be curious to grasp simply how massive the coaching knowledge and fashions are when it comes to gigabytes, as an alternative of the extra obscure metrics used within the AI world like parameters or tokens. In any case, this knowledge is the uncooked materials that might be carried across the globe on submarine cables. 

2. How will AI affect demand for submarine cable bandwidth?

Over the previous few years, I have been asking individuals how AI may form the demand of submarine cable bandwidth. I introduced some outcomes of this non-scientific, pretend survey within the chart beneath.

Even with no definitive reply to this query, it’s price digging into what elements could play a job.

Two phrases: location issues.

A mannequin could require pulling coaching knowledge from sources positioned all around the world, or it might be relying purely on an information set already saved regionally. Mannequin coaching and inference (utilizing an AI mannequin) may happen inside the identical metropolis, or the mannequin could also be distributed globally throughout a number of knowledge facilities.

And that is simply the tip of the iceberg.

Elements resembling knowledge measurement, mannequin coaching frequency, energy availability, knowledge sovereignty legal guidelines, inference latency, and on-device inference can even affect bandwidth necessities.

3. Is there an AI-fueled bubble in new submarine cables?

Many veterans of the telecom business will recall the submarine cable funding bubble (and subsequent meltdown) within the late Nineteen Nineties/early 2000s. Is the present stage of funding just like what occurred 1 / 4 of a century in the past?

Whereas lots of of billions of {dollars} are flooding into GPUs, knowledge facilities, and energy era, the funding into new cables is extra modest.

Transferring ahead

I closed with a have a look at some elements to regulate because the AI revolution progresses. Particularly, the situation of future AI factories is essential. Will these be in areas which can be unconnected or underserved by submarine cables?

Extra Knowledge This Approach 👇

Yow will discover my full 2024 Submarine Networks World presentation over right here.

Obtain the slides. Free your thoughts.