The ‘Is AC or DC power better suited for tomorrow’s high-density needs?’ panel at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 produced a more nuanced verdict than the session title implies. The transition to 800V DC power distribution is real and, for hyperscale AI applications, ultimately unavoidable-but panellists were pointedly sceptical about whether the industry is ready to execute it safely, at scale, and without a fragmented standards landscape that creates more problems than it solves.

The physics of high-density AI computing are driving a structural rethink of power delivery inside data centres. As GPU and networking requirements grow and rack power densities rise beyond what traditional alternating current (AC) distribution systems can efficiently handle, the case for higher-voltage direct current (DC) architectures has become technically compelling.