Power, connectivity and the next phase of the AI supercycle
Power, connectivity and the next phase of the AI supercycle
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/power-connectivity-and-the-next-phase-of-the-ai-supercycle/
Publish Date: 2026-01-17 05:00:00
Source Domain: www.weforum.org
- The AI supercycle is expected to follow a pattern similar to the internet supercycle, but with more transformative potential as AI intersects with real-world operations.
- Existing Internet infrastructure needs to evolve to meet the growing demands of AI, especially in terms of computational power, connectivity, and energy utilization.
- The shift towards distributed intelligence requires new network architectures that can handle the unique requirements of AI-native traffic, including low latency and high reliability.
- Trust, interoperability, and ecosystem partnerships are critical in the infrastructure required for the successful and secure adoption of AI technologies.
- The next stage of AI will not just connect people but connect intelligence across industries, necessitating robust, secure, and efficient connectivity infrastructure to maximize its benefits.
- Achieving these goals depends on collaboration across sectors to build and deploy AI-ready systems capable of supporting physical AI applications.
