Pro Tech Radar

AI demand is causing huge sustainability problems – and hard drives over SSDs could be the answer

April 21, 2025
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  • Seagate study find 97% anticipate AI to increase their demand for storage in the future
  • Sustainability is recognized, but cost is still more important
  • Modern HDDs offer superior efficiency, and they’re cheaper

A new report from Seagate has revealed just how much of an effect artificial intelligence is having on the amount of storage required by data centers, which presents a major sustainability challenge.

It found 94.5% said AI had increased their data storage needs, with even more (97%) anticipating AI’s growth to impact storage demand even further.

However, despite widespread acknowledgement and consideration for the environment, companies are struggling to prioritize it amid rising costs, which tariffs, government objectives and the sheer scarcity of some materials have influenced

Data centers are facing a major sustainability headache

Nearly 95% of respondents are concerned about environmental impact, says Seagate, but only 3.3% prioritize it in purchasing decisions with many focusing on the total cost of ownership and purchasing costs.

Among the key factors putting data centers at risk are high energy consumption (53.5%), raw material requirements (49.5%), physical space constraints (45.5%), infrastructure costs (28.5%) and acquisition costs (27%).

“Data centers are under intense scrutiny – not only because they support modern AI workloads, but because they are becoming one of the most energy-intensive sectors of the digital economy," said Seagate SVP of Cloud Marketing, Jason Feist.

Seagate envisions energy-efficient technologies playing a wider role in the decarbonization of data centers, reducing energy requirements and hitting other targets at the same time.

Although SSDs promise to be quicker and more efficient, Seagate’s HAMR-based Mozaic 3+ platform (for HDDs) can deliver up to three times more energy density while reducing embodied carbon by over 70% per terabyte and lowering cost per terabyte by 25%.

The report also embodies the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ motto by highlighting the importance of both extending product lifespans and then repurposing decommissioned equipment to reduce its environmental burden.

Sharing accountability through cooperation across the supply chain also helps to reduce emissions from Scopes 1, 2 and 3, enabling a wider effect.

“Sustainability cannot be solved in isolation. A holistic approach spanning infrastructure, life cycle management, and industry-wide accountability could ensure that the growth of AI and data center operations does not come at the expense of the environment,” Feist added.

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