AI Workstations vs Data Centers: Can Local Compute Compete at Scale? | HackerNoon

AI workstations are becoming powerful enough to handle many local training and inference tasks, offering lower latency, better data control, and predictable costs. Data centers still win at massive scale, collaboration, and elasticity. The future isn’t either/or—it’s a hybrid model where local compute handles speed- and privacy-sensitive work, while data centers power large-scale training and global deployment.