Schneider Electric Predicts AI-Ready Data Centers Will Define 2026

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Schneider Electric has predicted that 2026 will mark a pivotal year for data centers, as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes fully integrated into their operations and designs, transforming the way businesses and industries operate.

The company highlighted that since ChatGPT brought AI into mainstream awareness in late 2022, the technology has reshaped sectors ranging from healthcare and academia to business. In 2026, the focus is expected to shift from large language models to AI inferencing, driving a new wave of infrastructure demands.

The disclosure was made in a statement by Ajibola Akindele, Country President of Schneider Electric West Africa, who said the company expects organizations that invest strategically in AI-ready data centers will gain the resilience, agility, and competitive edge needed in the AI-driven economy.

“AI is no longer just a tool; it is a transformative force that demands the right infrastructure to unlock its full potential,” Akindele said. “In 2026, organizations that invest in advanced cooling, modular designs, and energy-efficient solutions will lead in the AI-driven economy.”

The report notes that AI adoption continues to grow rapidly, with 78 per cent of organizations now using AI in at least one business function, up from 72 per cent in early 2024 and 55 per cent in 2023. Applications extend from sales and marketing to manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and data centers.
Manufacturers using AI for demand forecasting are improving accuracy by a median of 30 percentage points. Hospitals are adopting AI for predictive billing, appointment scheduling, and identifying high-risk outpatients. Financial institutions are using AI to enhance fraud detection, payment optimisation, and risk management. Meanwhile, data centers are deploying AI-driven cooling systems, predictive analytics, and energy management to reduce waste and integrate renewables efficiently.

Schneider Electric noted that AI factories — data centers that generate intelligence rather than just store data — will become a central component of operations. These facilities handle model training, fine-tuning, and inference to generate actionable insights or revenue-driving intelligence.
AI workloads are expected to require densities ranging from under 20 kW per rack for compressed models to 140 kW per rack for advanced agentic systems. By 2030, it is projected that 25 per cent of new builds will operate below 40 kW per rack, 50 per cent between 40–80 kW, and 25 per cent above 100 kW, dedicated to large-scale AI training.

Cutting-edge hardware, including NVIDIA Rubin CPX GPUs and Vera CPUs in the MGX NVL144 CPX platform, will deliver up to 8 exaflops of AI compute, offering 7.5 times the AI performance of previous systems.

Schneider Electric also highlighted the growing role of robotics in data centers and industries, extending automation to delivery drones, surveillance, healthcare, agriculture, disaster response, firefighting, and even passenger transport. Data centers themselves will leverage robotics for security, server installation, cable management, and liquid cooling maintenance.

Digital twins are expected to drive efficiency in design and operations, enabling operators to simulate complex objects, systems, and processes. Advanced modelling platforms integrated with NVIDIA Omniverse will allow operators to create virtual replicas of electrical infrastructure for optimisation.
AI rack densities are projected to reach 240 kW per rack in 2026, with research exploring densities of 1 MW by 2028 and up to 1.5 MW per rack in the near future. Advanced liquid cooling solutions will become standard to meet these ultra-high-density requirements efficiently.

Schneider Electric noted that smaller firms will increasingly retrofit existing data centers with larger IT racks, higher-power PDUs, and liquid cooling solutions to accommodate AI workloads, ensuring AI readiness beyond hyperscale operators.

Sustainability and power strategy will remain critical, with operators adopting diverse solutions including natural gas turbines with carbon capture, HVO-fuelled generators, solar, wind, geothermal, and battery storage. Renewables currently supply 27 per cent of data center electricity, with total renewable generation projected to grow 22 per cent annually until 2030, covering nearly half of future power demand.

The company concluded that 2026 will be the year AI moves from disruption to foundation, with data centers not merely supporting technology but enabling intelligence itself. Success will depend on agility, collaboration, and the adoption of advanced infrastructure including liquid-cooled AI factories, retrofits, and digital twins to maintain competitiveness in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.