This episode was first broadcast on 20 September 2024.When people talk about the environmental impacts of data centers, normally the discussion focuses on energy usage. It’s something we’ve talked about at several points this year already, with reference to growing efforts to house AI workloads in green data centers that run on renewable energy to reduce their carbon impact.But while we can generate nearly limitless amounts of green energy, there is a decidedly finite amount of water in the world – and unfortunately, most data centers need vast amounts of fresh water to cool hardware. Without care, big tech could push already drought-stricken communities to breaking point.In this episode, Jane and Rory unpack the growing problem of data center water use, how operators can tackle this, and how it will exacerbate environmental tensions in the near future.Read more:Data center water consumption is spiraling out of controlGoogle data centre soaks up a third of Oregon city's water supplyWhat is a green data center and why are they attracting big investment?Data center waste energy to heat homes in 'UK-first' schemeOVHcloud just open sourced its data center liquid cooling system — here’s whyAWS plans to be 'water positive' by 2030Microsoft lays out water-positive plans for next decade
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SPECIAL EDITION: The evolution from robots to agents
If you’re looking to adopt AI right now, you’ll likely have heard the term ‘AI agents’. These systems can complete complex tasks autonomously, without user input.But no doubt some of the audience will be thinking: “haven’t we heard this before?” Indeed, robotic process automation and software robots have been available since the turn of the century, completing multi-step, repetitive tasks for businesses without human oversight.How have we evolved from robots to agents? And how can both be used by businesses to boost their productivity?In this episode, in association with UiPath, Jane and Rory are joined by Edward Challis, head of AI strategy at UiPath, to discuss the foundational role robotic process automation has played in getting us to advances such as AI agents, and how both fit together in the modern enterprise.
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June rundown: 2,000 missing devices and why threat groups are being renamed
June has been another busy month for IT and technology news. Whether it’s new naming conventions for cybercriminal groups, Britain’s big tech potential, and national security concerns over lost government devices, we’ve got a lot to unpick. ITPro’s news editor Ross Kelly and reviews editor Bobby Hellard step in for Jane and Rory this week to chew that fat on some of the biggest IT news stories of June.
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Are reasoning models fundamentally flawed?
AI reasoning models have emerged in the past year as a beacon of hope for large language models (LLMs), with AI developers such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic selling them as the go-to solution for solving the most complex business problems. However, a new research paper by Apple has cast significant doubts on the efficacy of reasoning models, going as far as to suggest that when a problem is too complex, they simply give up. What's going on here? And does it mean reasoning models are fundamentally flawed? In this episode, Rory Bathgate speaks to ITPro's news and analysis editor Ross Kelly to explain some of the report's key findings and what it means for the future of AI development.
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SPECIAL EDITION: Data integration for open table formats
Any modern enterprise generates reams of data, which can be difficult to correctly store, process, and use without the right approach.This has become even more important in the face of AI. Before any leader can begin implementing AI across their workflow, they must first ensure they’ve prepared data at the right scale – and across its entire lifecycle.Data integration, in which data from across a business is combined into a single stream, can be a huge help here. But where do you start with this? And where do open data formats fit into this mix?In this episode, in association with Informatica, Jane and Rory are joined by Eric Ho, senior director product management at Informatica, to discuss data integration at scale and explore the evolution of open table formats for modern data architectures and data warehousing.Read more:Structured vs unstructured data managementOnly a handful of generative AI projects make it into production – here’s whyA quarter of firms still don’t have a formal data strategy – and it’s hampering AI adoptionWhat is Delta Lake in Databricks?Why your business needs data protection policies
The ITPro Podcast is a weekly show for technology professionals and business leaders. Each week hosts Rory Bathgate and Jane McCallion are joined by an expert guest to take a deep dive into the most important issues for the IT community. New episodes premiere every Friday. Visit itpro.com/uk/the-it-pro-podcast for more information, or follow ITPro on LinkedIn for regular updates.
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