Who's Using All This Computing Power?

Computing does not happen in only one place. Some work occurs directly on phones, computers and other devices; some occurs on local or edge systems; and much of today's large-scale processing, storage and networking is provided through cloud infrastructure and data centers.

Individuals use computing through searches, applications, photos, video and other digital services. Businesses and governments rely on computing for applications, databases, operations, communications, security and data management. Cloud platforms pool servers, storage, networks, applications and services so computing resources can be provided on demand.

Artificial intelligence is adding rapidly growing demand for specialized computing, but AI is only one part of the broader digital ecosystem. Berkeley Lab's U.S. data-center energy research shows growth in both conventional and AI server demand, while the International Energy Agency identifies data centers and AI as important contributors to growing electricity demand.

Understanding who uses computing – and where that computing occurs – helps separate the broader digital economy from the specific infrastructure and resource demands of large data centers.