Current Debate: Will the Data Center of the Future Be AC or DC?
DataCenter Knowledge, Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
As AI transforms data centers, the industry revisits a fundamental question: is AC or DC power better suited for tomorrow's high-density computing needs?
Advancements in AI, LLMs, and GPUs have dominated the headlines in recent months. But a domino effect is ongoing, and everything in the data center connected to AI workloads requires a rethink - including the fundamental power infrastructure that keeps these systems running.
To support accelerated computing through GPUs and LLMs, sustainable growth demands a careful review of the best way to provide power to evolving AI data centers. As facilities grow larger and more power-hungry, the century-old question resurfaces with new urgency: Is alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) the optimal choice for tomorrow's data centers?