The Cloudcast cover image

The Cloudcast

Welcome to the Bi-Modal Cloud Era

Feb 9, 2025
The discussion kicks off with a humorous nod to the Super Bowl and weather quirks before diving into the clash between traditional cloud systems and AI demands. Cloud providers are reevaluating how to balance legacy CPU setups with the rising need for GPU architectures. Recent earnings misses from major players like Amazon and Microsoft reveal the challenges of this transition. Teams must navigate budget shifts while managing legacy products and embracing new technologies, sparking debates about the future of cloud innovation.
27:28

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The emergence of Bi-Modal Cloud highlights the need for cloud providers to balance traditional CPU-based resources with the growing demands of GPU-based AI technologies.
  • Cloud providers are under pressure to innovate and adapt their business models to integrate extensive AI investments while maintaining profitability from legacy services.

Deep dives

Challenges Facing Cloud Providers in the AI Era

Cloud providers are currently at a pivotal point as they navigate the integration of artificial intelligence into their services. The overwhelming focus on CPU-based systems in building cloud infrastructure is now challenged by the distinct requirements of AI, which often necessitates different architectures and resources, such as GPUs. Major companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon are heavily investing billions into AI capabilities, yet face difficulties merging these new technologies with their existing infrastructure, which is primarily designed for traditional IT services. This transformation is complicated by the need to balance new AI innovations with their existing offerings, which still dominate their revenue streams.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode