Built In explores how data center shortages could constrain AI development, with DataBank CEO Raul Martynek examining four critical bottlenecks: capital costs, construction time, space availability, and power constraints. The analysis reveals data center vacancy rates dropped to 2.88 percent in North America’s top markets as generative AI demands five times the power of traditional workloads.
The article details how a single medium-sized data center can cost nearly half a billion dollars to construct, requiring 24-to-36 months to complete amid supply chain challenges. GPU-powered HPC clusters for AI training are competing with traditional enterprise and hyperscale cloud growth for limited capacity.
“What happens when there is more demand for AI than what our current infrastructure can support? The answer seems simple: overcome a lack of capacity by building more capacity. In practice, however, it becomes much more difficult.”
— Raul Martynek, CEO of DataBank
The shortage could hamper AI application deployment, strain existing cloud infrastructure, and challenge companies like Nvidia despite unprecedented GPU demand. Smart data center providers are responding by increasing efficiency and positioning facilities near power generation sources.
Explore the complete infrastructure analysis at Built In.
Share Article
Despite AI hype and unprecedented capital deployment, 2026 will see tighter financing, constrained power, and gradual enterprise adoption as the industry returns to fundamentals.
The fundamentals that worked for decades no longer apply in data center construction. Single campuses now require 4,000 workers instead of 750 as the industry adapts to unprecedented scale.
Data centers supporting HPC and machine learning enable data models to generate insights that help enterprises run their operations more efficiently.
Discover the DataBank Difference today:
Hybrid infrastructure solutions with boundless edge reach and a human touch.
Tell us about your infrastructure requirements and how to reach you, and one of team members will be in touch shortly.
"*" indicates required fields
Let us know which data center you'd like to visit and how to reach you, and one of team members will be in touch shortly.
"*" indicates required fields
"*" indicates required fields
