The world of data storage is undergoing a remarkable transformation fueled by the convergence of data and artificial intelligence.

As organizations seek to unlock the immense potential of their data, innovative companies such as Vast Data Inc. are rethinking traditional storage approaches and paving the way for a new era of data-driven innovation.

In an exclusive interview, Jeff Denworth (pictured), co-founder of Vast Data, shared his insights on the future of data storage and the crucial role it plays in the AI equation. His vision for democratizing advanced infrastructure and harnessing the power of unstructured data provides a glimpse into the groundbreaking work being done to revolutionize the industry.

“Our observation is that people are now starting to architect strategies to collect tons more data because, for the first time ever, they can actually go and process it,” Denworth said. “Big-time investors in the field and successful companies are realizing the value of data hoarding. This shift from real-time data to historical data is a trend that is not hard to achieve anymore, and democratizing access to this valuable resource is the true game-changer.”

Denworth spoke with theCUBE industry analyst John Furrier at the Databricks Data + AI Summit, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how the integration of GPUs, cloud enablement and hybrid cloud solutions is driving the re-platforming of data infrastructure, as well as Vast’s aim to enable the application of AI to large unstructured data reservoirs using specialized infrastructure, including Nvidia Inc.’s DGX SuperPOD architecture.

Data + AI: Unleashing new possibilities in the digital landscape

The Data + AI Summit showcased the growing convergence of data and AI, marking a significant shift in the industry. This synergy not only gives rise to new infrastructure and data resource models, but also unlocks fresh opportunities for creating value and applications, according to Denworth.

As the boundaries between data and AI blur, organizations are compelled to rethink their approach to data storage and management, focusing more on platforms that can effectively harness the potential of these technologies.

“Hoarding the data and storing the data, which by the way gets cheaper and cheaper, are looking good because now a lot of the LLMs and these foundation models can take advantage of that data like they’ve never seen before,” Denworth said. “That came out loud and clear in the keynote … where you see the data, historical data, not just real-time data, is now just as important as real-time data, because you now can mix and match with it more effectively.”

Vast’s unique approach: Democratizing advanced infrastructure

Vast stands out as a pioneer in distributed systems architecture, drawing inspiration from tech giants such as Facebook and Google, according to Denworth. While traditional discussions about big data revolved around structured information, Vast recognizes the value of unstructured data that fuels sophisticated models. This realization has led the company to develop novel solutions that enable organizations to leverage powerful GPU systems and apply them to Vast data reservoirs characterized by the absence of structure or schema.

A recent announcement by Vast further highlights the company’s commitment to revolutionizing data infrastructure. The company became the first enterprise distributed storage systems company to receive support for Nvidia’s SuperPOD architecture. These specialized infrastructures, deployed by industry leaders, facilitate the construction of cutting-edge foundational models. Vast aims to democratize access to this advanced infrastructure, making it available to a broader audience.

“A few weeks ago, we announced that we were the first enterprise distributed storage systems company to be supported for Nvidia SuperPOD architecture,” Denworth said. “Those are the ones that are being deployed by the people that are basically building the most popular foundational models that you have in the market today. That requires a very specialized type of infrastructure that, up until now, has been kind of the domain of the large hyperscalers. We think there’s a huge opportunity to just go democratize that to the masses.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Databricks Data + AI Summit:

Photo: SiliconANGLE