SAN FRANCISCO — Data Center World, AFCOM’s annual global gathering that takes place May 8-11 Austin, Texas, announces three keynote addresses. 

Burcin Kaplanoglu, vice president of innovation at Oracle Industry Labs, will deliver “How Robots and AI will Change Digital Infrastructure” on May 9. Kaplanoglu will discuss the future of digital infrastructure. He’ll also showcase the latest innovations and trials with robotics in the data center, how data can be used to bring capacity online faster and more sustainably and how data-driven solutions can impact the future of the data center. Kaplanoglu has been recognized by LinkedIn as one of its Top Voices for sharing developments in AI, robotics, 5G, and other emerging technologies. He’s chair of the board committee at Institute for AI in Construction funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) since 2020 and is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering.  

The keynote panel “Blurring the Lines: How Connectivity, Data, and now ChatGPT Influences Data Centers” will take place on May 10. It will explore how data, connectivity, and new compute-heavy workloads are changing and modernizing data center infrastructure and how leaders can prepare for a more connected, data-driven future. Shweta Saraf, head of network modernization at Equinix; Rebecca Weekly, vice president, hardware systems engineering at Cloudflare; and Garima Kochhar, senior distinguished engineer working on high-performance computing and AI systems at Dell Technologies will participate on the panel. 

In addition, futurist Kian Gohar will deliver a keynote address on Thursday, May 11, focused on “Innovation and Convergence in the 21st Century.”  

The event will begin with Data Center World Program Chair and Data Center Knowledge contributing editor Bill Kleyman delivering the opening keynote “Up, up, and away! Data Centers in 2023” on May 8. Digital infrastructure has seen unprecedented growth, and the last few years have been a masterclass in the critical nature of data centers. In this keynote, attendees will hear about the latest findings from new and emerging threats and supply chain challenges to discussions around nuclear-powered data centers in the new AFCOM State of the Data Center Report. 

“We are fortunate to have all of these industry heavyweights deliver addresses at Data Center World,” said Tara Gibb, senior director of Data Center World. “From research and robots to artificial intelligence, these presentations will cover the gamut. Data Center World provides world-class education as well as the opportunity to explore the technologies data center professionals need to make business decisions in the rapidly evolving data center landscape.”  

Data Center World highlights 

  • The conference program provides technology professionals with unparalleled education to stay at the forefront of the highly complex data center industry. It offers more than 55 sessions from over 80 speakers as well as case studies, tech talks, and workshops, covering essential topics, such as edge computing, colocation, hyperscale, predictive analytics, and more. Conference tracks include: Emerging IT & Data Center Technologies; Design, Build, Operate, Control; Colocation, Hyperscale, and Cloud Innovation; and Sustainability & Mission Critical Facilities Management. To learn more about the Data Center World Conference Program, click here. 
  • The expo hall will feature more than 150 exhibitors showcasing the latest industry solutions. Select exhibitors include Eaton, Vertiv, Phoenix Contact USA, ScaleMatrix, Legrand, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Armstrong Fluid Technology, Dassault Systemes Americas Corp., Iron Mountain, and Enchanted Rock Solutions. 
  • Data Center BUILD is a new construction and design summit that will bring together operators, decision-makers, experts, and implementers to help drive smart decisions for data center growth. The executive-level summit, which takes place May 8-9, will provide information and connections needed to design and build data centers. Chris Crosby, CEO, Compass Datacenters will deliver a keynote address at Data Center BUILD.  
  • The Omdia Analyst Summit, themed around the topic of “sustainability in practice,” takes place on May 8. Global technology research firm, Omdia, will present the one-day conference featuring the latest technology adoption trends and market forecasts, and a deep dive into sustainability practices. Click here to learn more and to register. 
  • The Data Center Innovation Challenge will pit data center technology innovators against each other and judges will determine the companies with the best opportunity for success.   
  • The second annual Power Up Program educates and mentors students currently in technical or electrical fields of study. Over forty students will attend the program that includes a Data Center 101 class; small group sessions to speak one-on-one with professionals representing a variety of data center roles; tips and tricks for interviews and on-the-job behavior; and access to the expo floor. The goal of the program is to open the industry to a new generation.  
  • Data Center World will offer unlimited networking opportunities targeted at data center professionals.