Whether you’re gearing up for AI adoption or already in the middle of it, there’s one key reality to remember: implementing AI is not as simple as integrating new tools or running models. Success requires a robust network infrastructure that aligns seamlessly with AI’s demanding requirements. Without this foundation, even the most ambitious AI initiatives can fail to deliver meaningful returns.
In the second webinar of our Built to be Bold series, “AI and the Network: From Hype to High Impact,” decision intelligence expert Cassie Kozyrkov and technology commentator Ethan Banks explored the critical connections between AI and network infrastructure. For IT leaders, infrastructure architects, and decision-makers, these actionable insights illuminate why your network’s capacity, resilience, and scalability will dictate the trajectory of your AI goals.
Key Takeaways from the Webinar
1. AI is Only as Strong as Your Network Infrastructure
AI workflows demand networks capable of handling vast amounts of data while ensuring low latency and high scalability. Why? Because without reliable connectivity, AI models can’t process data efficiently or deliver actionable insights in real-time.
But don’t just take our word for it — the demand for reliable infrastructure is clear. In 2024, Zayo saw over $1 billion in AI-related deals.
Cassie captured this perfectly during the webinar, stating, “Without a good network, without good bandwidth, you’re on a starvation diet. Why would you expect it to be any good? You’re supposed to be automating with data, and you don’t even have the ability to pass and process the data.”
Where Zayo Can Help:
- High Capacity Networking Where You Need It: Zayo’s backbone network spans over 19 million fiber miles globally and includes 100+ Quick-Connect Data Centers, providing businesses with robust infrastructure to handle large-scale data transfers seamlessly and without bottlenecks.
- Low-Latency, High-Speed Connectivity: Zayo’s direct, low-latency networks, including high-bandwidth Ethernet connections, ensure high-speed connections, enabling real-time decision-making and seamless operations for AI-driven applications.
2. Integrated Decision-Making is Key to AI Success
Kozyrkov emphasizes the importance of collaboration between business leaders and engineers, urging them to break down silos and ensure AI projects align with overarching business objectives. She explains, “Sometimes we’re guilty of not having the business stakeholder side of the conversation to understand more intimately what is the business outcome we are looking for, and then beginning to map that to the infrastructure that we are building.”
For AI initiatives to succeed, business leaders must grasp core AI and infrastructure concepts, while engineers must consider their organizations’ strategic, long-term objectives. Misalignment, whether from unclear goals or disconnected teams, can derail even the most promising projects.
How Zayo Optimizes Collaboration:
- Custom Network Solutions: Zayo aligns network infrastructure with specific business objectives, ensuring IT and leadership speak the same operational language.
- Hybrid Cloud Support: AI training, inference, and building require a hybrid cloud setup that delivers fast, low-latency access to locations all over the world. Zayo’s CloudLink offers dedicated connections to all major cloud providers, delivering enhanced cloud connectivity with superior performance, resilience, security, privacy, and flexibility.
3. Scaling AI Without Strategic Planning is a Risky Bet
Scaling AI is not a one-and-done task. It’s a commitment to complexity that requires careful planning and agile infrastructure to meet long-term goals. Without a clear strategy, the risks can outweigh the rewards.
As Kozyrkov warned, “When you invite complexity at scale, you may have quite the opposite of ROI, right? And ROI aside, if you’ve not specified what you’re trying to do, you are gambling. You are not making the right decisions. You’re trying to get lottery tickets and hope that by some magic lack of agency and thinking on the part of the decision maker, good things will happen.”
Future-Proofing with Zayo:
- Strategic Expansion: In 2024, we boosted our network with an additional 8.3 Tb of private peering capacity. With the acquisition of Crown Castle’s network assets in 2025, we’re adding another 100,000 route miles to our reach.
- Scalability for Growth: To manage growing data demands from AI-driven applications, Zayo’s 400G-enabled wavelength services offer enhanced scalability and performance, ideal for data-intensive applications such as edge computing or AI-powered business use cases.
4. Resilient AI Requires a Robust Foundation
From algorithmic biases to data privacy concerns, any misstep can damage your brand reputation and lead to regulatory backlash. Coupled with this is the physical resilience of your network, ensuring uninterrupted AI operations during spikes or downtime.
Build a Resilient AI Foundation:
- Resilient Network Design ensures uptime, agility, and preparedness for high-stakes AI workloads.
- Enhanced Security: Through secure data transportation and robust network architecture, Zayo ensures uptime, agility, and preparedness for high-stakes AI workloads.
- 24x7x365 Support: Zayo simplifies network management by handling every stage of the network life cycle from design and equipment procurement to deployment. Our expert Network Operations Center (NOC) team monitors performance in real time to ensure your network never goes down.
Setting the Stage for Successful AI Adoption
AI adoption is a marathon, not a sprint. While tools and algorithms may evolve at lightning speed, crafting a network infrastructure that supports AI-driven transformation requires deliberate planning and execution. Businesses must think beyond short-term pilots and invest in scalable, future-proof solutions that empower them to innovate continuously.
Zayo is a partner for businesses in this AI-powered transformation. By providing low-latency networks, 400G-enabled wavelengths, extensive fiber coverage, and edge-to-cloud connectivity, Zayo enables organizations to focus on their overarching goals while confidently relying on infrastructure that grows with their needs.