What awaits us in 2024 when it comes to data storage? Seagate looks ahead to trends in data storage where the AI ​​boom will lead to seismic changes.

The new year has begun and so the forecast lists can be called up again. BS Teh, Chief Commercial Officer at storage specialist Seagate, looks at how the data storage market will develop in 2024. Seagate expects major changes due to the growth and democratization of artificial intelligence.

More AI, more data

Seagate also can’t ignore the current technology hype: generative AI. Artificial intelligence was the talk of 2023 in many industries and that won’t change anytime soon this year either. Above all, 2024 is likely to be the year in which AI becomes more democratized: According to figures from Gartner, 55 percent of companies are now in the pilot phase with generative AI and by 2026, 80 percent of companies would be actively using the technology, compared to fewer than five percent a year ago. Generative AI will then account for ten percent of all data produced worldwide.

It’s no longer a secret that generative AI requires a lot of data, and this development will completely transform companies’ data storage needs, according to Seagate. AI will increase IT spending and demand for data storage as companies seek competitive advantage by improving productivity and efficiency. But the types of storage required are also changing due to AI: storage on high-density hard drives is becoming increasingly popular.

Higher density

Almost 90% of all data in cloud data centers resides on hard drives. Today, the average capacity of a hard drive is 16TB, based on traditional PMR technology. Thanks to the introduction of HAMR technology (Heat-assisted magnetic recording), the storage capacity of a single hard drive can be increased to 30 TB. This results in more cost-effective storage.

HAMR technology will also help data center operators further reduce their carbon footprint by reducing energy consumption from data storage and will play an even more influential role in addressing the 53.6 million tons of e-waste produced annually worldwide.

Flash and hard drive go hand in hand

The end of hard drive storage has been predicted many times, but Seagate believes it won’t happen anytime soon. The classic hard drive remains the most cost-effective storage medium today, especially now that SDD prices threaten to rise significantly in 2024. Hard drive storage will enable massive data storage at less than a fifth the cost per bit of comparable all-flash solutions. Flash and hard drive storage are not meant to replace each other, but rather complement each other, concludes Teh.