We are in the midst of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven industrial revolution, with AI reshaping nearly every industry. As the U.S. races to maintain its global leadership in AI, it is crucial to recognize the critical component of data storage and the hard drives that make scalable AI advancements possible. Data is everything in the AI era, and massive datasets fuel the systems that predict disease outbreaks, manage supply chains, detect fraud, and empower our armed forces.
The U.S. cannot afford to treat data storage as an afterthought, as it is essential for managing data at scale and maintaining the integrity of the data informing AI models. Hard drives, which store more than 90% of data in cloud data centers, play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the data and are not only essential for managing data at scale but also play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the data informing AI models.
The defense and homeland security sectors rely on data-intensive AI systems to make real-time decisions in life and death situations, and satellite data and surveillance feeds require massive storage capacity. The private sector’s demand for data storage is also skyrocketing as AI transforms operations, with financial firms leveraging AI to analyze markets and manage risk, media companies personalizing streaming services, and companies manufacturing hard drives deploying AI at scale in factories.
The U.S. must act now to secure its leadership in data storage technology, investing in and supporting the hard drive industry to secure a stable foundation for AI growth and mitigate future supply chain vulnerabilities. The U.S. government has recently initiated steps to secure this foundation, but more needs to be done to recognize and invest in this critical sector.
Government agencies should establish regular dialogue with industry leaders to ensure clear, aligned strategies for fostering a robust data storage sector, and government incentives should be available for hard drive manufacturers to expand domestic capacity, strengthen supply chain resilience, and encourage long-term storage and retention policies that contribute to AI trustworthiness. By recognizing and investing in this critical sector, the U.S. can build a resilient, scalable data storage backbone that advances national security, economic growth, and technological supremacy.
