The evolving landscape of technology, particularly the transformative role of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, is leading discussions at this week’s MWC Barcelona event.

During coverage of the event, theCUBE Research analysts talked with Michael Dell (pictured), chairman and chief executive officer of Dell Technologies Inc. Dell outlined the company’s strategic initiatives to shape the future through AI and cloud computing, marking a significant leap toward redefining global connectivity and computing landscapes.

“It feels like we’re just getting started,” he said. “This is all very exciting and has been a fun decade, but when I look at what’s going on in the world — and especially here at Mobile World Congress — it’s a whole new world of opportunity opening up, with the cloudification of the telecom networks, what’s going on with AI at the edge, the explosion of data.”

As Dell Technologies continues to innovate and lead in this space, the vision of a more connected, intelligent world becomes increasingly tangible, promising a future where technology amplifies human success and creativity on an unprecedented scale.

Dell spoke with theCUBE Research analysts Dave Vellante and John Furrier at MWC Barcelona, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed Dell’s visionary insights into the evolving landscape of technology, particularly focusing on the transformative role of AI and cloud computing. (* Disclosure below.)

The AI wave and technological evolution

The rapid pace of the AI revolution, and the foundational shifts it’s creating, is placing enormous demands on computing and data processing. The transition from traditional computing to cognition and AI is a leap that promises to accelerate the economy, creativity and human potential, according to Dell.

“It feels like it’s going 10 times faster than previous waves … we’re moving from calculating and computing into cognition and brains, which is a totally different space than we’ve been in in the past,” Dell said.

This acceleration is not without its challenges, yet Dell views it as an exciting opportunity to expand technology’s role in advancing society for the better.

“Ultimately, technology’s always been about how do we make humans more successful, safer and healthier in everything that we’re doing,” he said. “I think technology is going to do that even more so now that we have these AI superpowers.”

The significant investments in AI and cloud technologies are reminiscent of the CapEx boom of the internet era, according to theCUBE analysts. There are both similarities and differences between these periods, with the rapid adoption of AI marking a stark contrast, according to Dell.

“Think about how long it took us to get 5 billion people on the internet. To get 5 billion people on AI is happening almost instantly,” Dell stated. “We’re seeing it quickly move from the cloud service providers and hyperscalers to the dot-AI companies into enterprise, hundreds of enterprises deploying these systems.”

This swift adoption underscores the necessity of bringing AI to data, particularly on-premises, to leverage the vast amounts of data generated at the edge — a task that telecom operators are uniquely positioned to facilitate.

Michael Dell on infrastructure, investment and the edge

Dell’s insights also extended to the infrastructure and investments fueling the AI wave. With the emergence of AI, the need for specialized computing, storage and networking solutions has never been more critical. Dell Technologies, leveraging its amalgamation with EMC, has been at the forefront of developing these essential components.

“You need data, because if you have no data, you have no AI. If you have bad data, you have bad AI,” Dell said. “The fuel for these systems is enormous amounts of data. That’s a topic we know a lot about and spend a lot of time on at Dell Technologies.”

This is where data storage comes into play, and where Dell outpaces the competition. The company leverages its leadership position in data storage to provide the infrastructure essential for feeding AI systems, ensuring that the increasingly complex computations AI requires are supported by robust and efficient data storage solutions.

The edge-computing paradigm, where computation is located closer to the data source, forms a critical part of Dell’s vision. Edge data is representative of the “real world,” according to Dell, where technology meets tangible needs in manufacturing, retail, healthcare and logistics. Private 5G networks and Dell’s partnerships, such as with Nokia, are pivotal in transforming these environments into interconnected, intelligent spaces.

“The network has to become a cloud so the operators can stand up services so that application developers can write to that,” said Dell, pointing to the necessity for a robust, agile network infrastructure to unlock the full potential of AI at the edge.

Amid a decade marked by significant advancements and the dawn of the AI era, Michael Dell’s perspective offers a glimpse into the future, where technology not only enhances human capabilities, but also redefines the fabric of connectivity and computing.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of MWC Barcelona:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the MWC Barcelona event. No sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE