Seagate plans 100-terabyte hard drive by 2030 amid AI demand

In recent years, Seagate Technology, a data storage firm, has positioned itself as a key player in the artificial intelligence sector, responding to heightened demand from data centers. By 2030, the company plans to launch a hard drive boasting a remarkable 100 terabytes of capacity. This comes in the wake of the significant rise in AI applications that require extensive storage for data processing. The current largest offering from Seagate is the 36-terabyte Exos M model, which was introduced earlier this year. The surge in AI technologies necessitates advancements in data storage capabilities, prompting Seagate to innovate within this context. Seagate's chief commercial officer, BS Teh, emphasized the strong demand for increased storage capacity, attributing this requirement to the expansive growth of AI technology developed by leading firms such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. Notably, Microsoft announced that it expects to invest about $80 billion in data centers by June 2025, highlighting the urgent requirement for high-capacity storage solutions. Data centers are pivotal in powering the AI revolution, and Seagate recognizes the imperative need for robust and efficient storage devices to meet this burgeoning demand. To address environmental concerns associated with AI technology's energy consumption, Seagate is taking proactive measures in its manufacturing processes. BS Teh stated that the company is focusing on increasing storage density in their hard drives and ensuring that their production methods rely on renewable energy sources. Seagate is committed to sustainability, targeting renewable energy usage across its factories in a bid to mitigate the carbon footprint associated with data storage. The firm also asserts that hard disk drives are more sustainable compared to solid-state drives when evaluating ecological impact. By enhancing power efficiency and storage density, Seagate aims to minimize the spatial and energy demands on data centers. Overall, its focus on innovation and sustainability aligns with the needs created by the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and data processing.