As companies put more AI into production, the explosive growth of the technology at both the edge and in the data center is creating demands for bandwidth, latency, and architectural flexibility that traditional networks weren’t designed to deliver.
The latest data from Omdia finds that all AI traffic — including net new AI applications and AI-enhanced applications — accounted for 39 exabytes of total network traffic in 2024. Non-AI traffic of AI-enhanced applications totaled 131 exabytes, and conventional application traffic accounted for 308 exabytes, according to Omdia research director Brian Washburn.
In 2025, those 39 exabytes of AI traffic will double to 79 exabytes, Omdia expects, and AI traffic will continue to grow at a rate far outpacing conventional traffic. In 2031, AI traffic will overtake conventional traffic, Washburn predicts.