Forrester: Curb your AI enthusiasm

Analyst Forrester has urged IT decision-makers to curb their enthusiasm when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) to avoid being caught out by a shortfall in semiconductors.

In its Surviving the global chip shortage report, Forrester recommended that IT leaders moderate their AI ambitions. “Moderation seems like heresy in the current AI-drenched tech environment, but you might have no choice,” the authors of the report warned.

Forrester pointed out that AI requires immense compute capacity, with a big emphasis on graphics processing units (GPUs). The report noted that cloud providers and large system providers have struggled to acquire enough GPUs, which means enterprise IT buyers may have to wait up to a year to get what they need.

“On-premises hardware providers like Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft, scramble to deliver on this demand. The chip shortage is moderating these ambitious roll-outs in datacentres,” the report stated.

While hardware providers have been able to keep up with demand, Forrester pointed out that they are pushing their limits. For enterprise IT leaders considering purchasing AI-optimised hardware, the analysts warned: “A bit more demand will push them over the edge.”

Looking at how IT leaders can work around the chip crisis as they build out their plans for AI, Forrester recommended starting small with tech plans. “The current silicon environment validates that strategy even more. You will make mistakes as you embark on any new journey. Focus on small steps – therefore small mistakes – that will yield big lessons as you scale up later when supply returns,” the analyst advised.

“Moderation seems like heresy in the current AI-drenched tech environment, but you might have no choice”