Top Infrastructure Upgrades Needed To Support AI And Quantum Growth

Forbes

2 days ago

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing have the potential to reshape nearly every industry—but only if global infrastructure evolves fast enough to support them. From intelligent energy systems and ultra-fast connectivity to new governance models and quantum-safe security, foundational upgrades are essential.
The approaching tech revolution requires more than just faster chips or bigger data centers; business and government leaders must rethink how they manage power, information, regulations and talent. Below, members of Forbes Technology Council highlight the most critical infrastructure shifts needed to unlock the full potential of next-generation innovation.
1. Time-Aware Infrastructure
What we need is time-aware infrastructure—systems that don't just process data fast, but also understand when to act, defer or self-correct. Next-gen tech isn't just about power; it's about precision, timing and trust. Without temporal intelligence, scale becomes noise. - Adam Zachary, Mobiz IT
2. Expanded Global Connectivity
To support AI and quantum tech, the world needs much faster, more stable and more secure internet (like 5G, 6G and quantum internet). Without strong global connectivity, these technologies can't transfer huge amounts of data quickly or work effectively for health, research and industry. - Gopikrishnan Anilkumar, Amazon
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3. Quantum-Ready Talent
The critical upgrade isn't hardware—it's human capital. We're building quantum-ready infrastructure while our workforce still struggles with basic cloud concepts. The biggest bottleneck will be finding engineers who understand both legacy systems and quantum principles. Infrastructure is useless without operators who can manage it. - Anna Turos, Lighthouse HQ
4. Modern Power Grids
We need a power grid glow-up—energy infrastructure is the bottleneck. AI and quantum suck juice like V8s with turbos. Without smarter, decentralized grids—think microgrids and edge energy—tech will stall. I saw this at GM data centers. Future tech isn't just code—it's current. No watts, no wonder. - Tim Bates, Godfather of Tech
5. Sustainable Compute Practices
The AI gold rush is overwhelming infrastructure that was never built for this scale. Power grids are strained, data centers are bottlenecked and companies keep throwing more hardware at the problem. That model is broken. Without a shift to workload efficiency, longer asset life and sustainable compute practices, AI's growth will collapse under the weight of its own demand. It's time to rethink the foundation. - Tomas O Leary, Origina
6. Agentic AI Functionality
One critical upgrade is building infrastructure that supports agentic AI, or AI that acts on behalf of users. To unlock its full potential, global systems must prioritize performance, scalability and seamless integration, enabling AI to transform everyday users into power users by automating repetitive tasks and enhancing productivity. - Adam Lieberman, Finastra
7. Global Ethical Protocols
We need global standardization of ethical protocols. To harness AI and quantum safely, nations must establish interoperable ethical frameworks and audit standards. Without harmonized regulations on data use, algorithmic bias and quantum encryption, cross-border innovation risks fragmentation and public mistrust, stifling the very technologies meant to advance humanity. - Cristian Randieri, Intellisystem Technologies
8. Data-Centric Architectures
To support next-gen tech like AI and quantum, global infrastructure must shift to data-centric architectures—scalable, low-latency systems that move data closer to compute. Speed, locality and parallelism will define success as workloads outpace traditional network and storage designs. - Sven Oehme, DataDirect Networks
9. Increased Bandwidth Accessibility
I do not believe global infrastructure can handle the bandwidth necessary for AI and quantum to grow substantially. Currently, 1 Gbps symmetrical service is difficult to find, and when it is available, the price is often out of reach, especially for small businesses and tech startups. The lack of available bandwidth and the cost of bandwidth will slow the adoption of AI and quantum technologies. - Robert Martin, Oil City Iron Works, Inc.
10. Upgraded Energy Distribution Systems
A critical shift is modernizing power infrastructure. AI and quantum workloads demand immense, stable energy. Without investment in clean, high-density energy grids and smarter distribution, innovation will bottleneck at the plug. Energy is the new scalability frontier. - Luis Peralta, Parallel Plus, Inc. (dba ParallelStaff)
11. Data That's Decoupled From Applications
A critical shift is decoupling data from applications. Today, data is linked to specific apps, limiting AI's ability to access and learn from it. Unlocking next-gen tech like AI and quantum requires treating data as a universal asset, accessible across platforms and systems. - Yogesh Malik, Way2Direct
12. HPC-Grade Infrastructure
To support AI and quantum computing, enterprises must shift to HPC-grade infrastructure built with accelerated processors, high-speed networking and scalable storage. This upgrade enables faster data processing, low-latency hybrid workloads and quantum-safe security, making it essential for next-gen innovation across IT. - Sai Sandeep Ogety
13. More Resilient, Smart-Routing Infrastructure
Survivability is critical for global infrastructure as AI and quantum continue to boom. Dense, distributed workloads mean zero tolerance for downtime. Single-region, monolithic systems won't cut it. We need infrastructure built to expect failure, reroute around it and stay consistent when regions or providers go dark. If you can't guarantee consistency, you aren't ready for what's coming. - Spencer Kimball, Cockroach Labs
14. Data Interoperability
A critical shift is data interoperability. The future of AI depends less on raw compute power and more on whether systems—especially in healthcare—can speak the same language. Without harmonized, structured data, even the best models are flying blind. - Zameer Rizvi, Odesso Inc.
15. Post-Quantum Cryptography
A critical shift will be the widespread adoption of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). As quantum computers advance, they'll threaten current encryption methods. Global infrastructure must rapidly transition to quantum-resistant algorithms to protect sensitive data and critical systems across all industries, from finance to healthcare, before a 'quantum doomsday' scenario. - Dennis-Kenji Kipker, cyberintelligence.institute
16. Deterministic Networking
AI and quantum don't just need speed; they need precision. One failed deployment showed us it's not bandwidth that breaks systems, but timing. A few milliseconds of network jitter, and the model collapses. The next wave of infrastructure must prioritize deterministic networking and tightly synchronized edge computing. Without timing, intelligence stalls. - Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Morgan Stanley
17. Energy-Resilient Compute Fabrics
To support AI and quantum at scale, global infrastructure must shift toward energy-resilient compute fabrics—integrated systems that co-optimize compute, cooling and clean power. These workloads demand not just speed, but also sustainability. Without upgrading to intelligent, decentralized and carbon-aware compute grids, the physical backbone for next-gen tech will become a bottleneck. - Giridhar Raj Singh Chowhan, Microsoft
18. Modernized Data Centers
One key upgrade will be modernizing global data centers to meet the huge demands of AI and quantum computing—both in terms of processing power and energy use. This means adding advanced cooling systems, faster networking and hybrid setups that combine classical and quantum technologies, all while shifting to more sustainable energy sources to keep up with rapid data growth. - Ajit Sahu, Walmart