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ZDNET's key takeaways
A robust space-based future lies ahead for the IT industry.
It's still too expensive to launch data centers, but costs are dropping.
Robots and predictive analytics will play a crucial role in maintenance.
In the very near future, some or all of your workloads and data may be processed in space-based data centers. But will you notice? Probably not, a former NASA leader has predicted.
A robust space-based future lies ahead for the IT industry, said Dr. Robert Ambrose, former chief of NASA's Software, Robotics and Simulation Division, and currently chairman of robotics and AI at consultancy Alliant.
Moving data processing into orbit to handle the insatiable demands of AI and the digital economy may have compelling benefits. Earth-based data centers have met resistance from community and environmental groups who cite impacts on energy and water, with the facilities even creating some forms of pollution. There is also uncertainty as to how existing resources will meet the rising energy demands of AI processing.
Also: The cloud vs. clouded leopard: America's data center backlash on display at Nashville Zoo
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