IT leaders expect AI to increase storage, only 38% prepared

Technology Oct 07, 2026

A new Seagate report says almost all IT leaders expect AI to ramp up their data storage needs, but only 38% feel prepared to handle it.

The biggest headaches? Data quality and readiness and storage infrastructure, making it tough for companies to keep up as AI grows.

Organizations prioritize data centers, energy concerns

To tackle these challenges, 76% of organizations ranked data centers among their top three infrastructure investment priorities.

But there is a catch: energy use is a big worry. About 77% of companies are rethinking their expansion plans because of how much power AI eats up, with many also concerned about carbon emissions.

Seagate suggests sustainable scaling so growth does not come at the planet's expense.