How Data Centres Are Powering the AI Revolution

Artificial Intelligence has moved from research labs into the mainstream of business and society. Generative AI can now draft reports, compose music or even design new materials. Vision systems are transforming healthcare and manufacturing. Decision engines are reshaping finance, logistics and climate modelling.

This is not a passing trend — it’s a revolution. And behind every breakthrough lies a critical, often invisible enabler: the hyperscale data centre.

At TM Nxera, strategically located in Johor with close proximity to Singapore, we see the data centre not just as infrastructure but as the very foundation of the AI economy. The way these facilities are designed, powered, cooled and connected will determine how far and how fast this AI wave can carry industries forward.

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The Demands of AI: More Power, More Density, More Connectivity

AI workloads are unlike anything the world has seen:

• Explosive compute needs: Training large AI models involves thousands of GPUs or accelerators running in clusters, consuming massive amounts of electricity. According to the International Energy Agency, global data centre power demand could more than double by 2030.

• Rising rack densities: Traditional air cooling is hitting its limits. Liquid cooling — direct-to-chip, immersion, or rack-based — is becoming the new norm to manage the intense heat generated by AI servers.

• Data in motion: AI requires moving colossal datasets at speed — whether distributing training workloads across nodes or delivering low-latency inference results. Hyper-connectivity is no longer optional; it’s essential.

• Resource pressures: Power grids, water systems, and even local communities are feeling the strain. Morgan Stanley projects that AI-driven data centres could increase water consumption eleven-fold by 2028.

The AI boom is stretching digital infrastructure to its limits. Only data centres with the right mix of scale, reliability, operational expertise and sustainability strategy will be able to support it.

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What Matters Most for AI-Ready Data Centres

1. Resilience and operational maturity

AI workloads are mission-critical. Downtime during training or inference is costly. Operators with decades of hyperscale experience can anticipate issues, act before they escalate and ensure continuity.

2. Cooling innovation

To keep GPUs performing optimally, advanced thermal management — from direct liquid cooling to hybrid approaches — is becoming standard. This ensures higher efficiency while reducing overall energy consumption.

3. Carrier-neutral hyper-connectivity

AI doesn’t just need compute; it needs bandwidth. A true AI-ready data centre must offer rich connectivity: direct access to global networks, internet exchanges, and cloud on-ramps. At TM Nxera, we combine our parents’ extensive TM and Singtel networks with partnerships across all key local and regional carriers and IXs. The result: a rich ecosystem where customers can be assured of capacity, diversity and resilience.

4. Sustainability leadership

With the spotlight on energy and water use, sustainability is a strategic imperative. From renewable energy integration to water-efficient cooling and carbon-conscious design, operators must align growth with responsibility.

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TM Nxera: Building the Foundation for the AI Era

At TM Nxera, we are building hyperscale campuses designed for the demands of the AI age.

• A hyperconnected ecosystem: As a carrier-neutral facility, we not only leverage TM and Singtel’s backbone strengths but also partner with all major carriers and internet exchanges. This ensures rich interconnectivity within Malaysia, across the region and globally.

• Trusted experience: With decades of operating mission-critical facilities, we bring proven reliability. Leading hyperscalers and AI companies already trust Nxera to run their workloads, knowing that uptime and resilience are non-negotiable.

• Designed for AI: Our hyperscale projects are being built with high-density, liquid-cooling capabilities from the ground up, ensuring future-ready infrastructure for even the most demanding AI clusters.

• Sustainability at the core: We are integrating renewable energy into our campuses, pursuing water-efficient cooling and embedding green practices into every layer of our operations. Our goal: to help customers innovate at scale while offsetting environmental impacts.

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The Road Ahead

For enterprises, the lesson is clear: AI success isn’t just about algorithms and talent — it’s about choosing the right infrastructure partner. One who can scale with you, connect you globally, and do so sustainably.

Data centres are the engines of the AI revolution. At TM Nxera, we are committed to powering that revolution responsibly — enabling businesses to innovate, scale, and lead in the next era of digital growth.

The Next Era Begins Here.