Table of Contents
In this episode, Chris Sharp, Chief Technology Officer of Digital Realty, shares his perspective on what it really takes to scale AI infrastructure beyond the hype. Drawing on more than two decades at the center of cloud, interconnection, and data center technology, Chris explains why today’s infrastructure challenge comes down to three critical elements: electrons, equipment, and expertise, and why time to power and time to market have become increasingly important.
Chris discusses the shift from AI training toward inference, where models move from being built to being continuously used to deliver real-world value. As AI enters this utility phase, he sees infrastructure becoming more distributed and interconnected, with organizations combining public, private, and multiple AI models. At the same time, rising rack densities and next-generation chipsets are fundamentally changing data center design, power architecture, and connectivity requirements.
The conversation explores another critical constraint: people. Chris argues that the industry industrialized electrons faster than expertise, while the talent pipeline remained relatively flat. From electricians and skilled trades to technical and operational professionals, human expertise can determine whether gigawatts of planned infrastructure actually become operational. Digital Realty is addressing this challenge by recruiting beyond traditional data center backgrounds and training new talent for careers in the industry.
Looking ahead, Chris believes data centers will evolve from real estate into industrial machines that manufacture intelligence. Success will increasingly be measured not simply by megawatts or tokens, but by the value and outcomes infrastructure delivers. As AI demand accelerates, he believes the constraints the industry may ultimately wish it had addressed sooner are straightforward: electrons and electricians.
Important Links
- Connect with Chris Sharp on LinkedIn
- Digital Realty
- Let’s Get Digital with Carrie Charles
- Broadstaffglobal.com
About
As Chief Technology Officer at Digital Realty, I shape strategy at the intersection of infrastructure and emerging technologies, from AI to quantum computing. Over the past decade, I’ve led the design and operation of more than 3 gigawatts of data center capacity, a scale few in the industry can match. Earlier in my career, I pioneered the relevance of colo to cloud by building the first private on-ramp between a major financial institution and a leading hyperscaler, a milestone that mirrors today’s AI adoption curve.
Our secure, flexible, and scalable platform is the foundation where, together, companies, technologies, and data solve the challenges of digital transformation and unlock new opportunities.
This is the global meeting place where you can focus on what’s important, your customers’ success.
