Research Report
2025: AI's Make or Break Moment
2025 will be a make or break year for AI to achieve world changing outcomes – in some cases for better, in some for worse. The NetApp 2024 Data Complexity Report offers insights to help businesses leverage AI's potential, while navigating the complexities and risks that accompany this transformative technology.
2025 will be a make or break year for AI to achieve world changing outcomes – in some cases for better, in some for worse. The NetApp 2024 Data Complexity Report offers insights to help businesses leverage AI's potential, while navigating the complexities and risks that accompany this transformative technology.
Features and Benefits
The capabilities that set NetApp Data Complexity Report apart.
AI Investment: Will AI Break the Bank?
2025 will require unprecedented investment in AI and data management
- 40% of global tech executives believe that unprecedented investment in AI and data management will be required for their companies in 2025
- 2/3 companies across the globe say their data is fully or mostly optimized for AI
- Even companies that see themselves as currently optimized for AI anticipate unprecedented 2025 investment
- 38% of companies that see themselves as fully or mostly optimized for AI anticipate unprecedented investment
- 43% of companies that see themselves as somewhat or not optimized for AI anticipate unprecedented investment
Data Silos: Will Siloed Data Impede AI Success?
Data Unification Is Seen as Critical to AI Outcomes
- 79% of global tech executives believe unifying data is essential or very important for achieving top AI outcomes in 2025
- 88% of companies who have fully or mostly optimized their data for AI consider unifying data important versus only 61% of companies that are somewhat or not at all optimized
- Investing in data is the top priority to achieve AI superiority and competitive advantage
Data Security: Will Cyber Threats Scale Along with AI?
AI adoption will bring a significant increase in security threats in 2025
- 41% of global tech executives predict security threats will significantly increase due to advancements in AI
- AI leading countries are almost 2X as likely to see increased security challenges compared to AI lagging countries
- 59% noted security challenges as a significant or number one stressor
- AI-driven security challenges are a top global stressor
- But cybersecurity as 'the top priority' is down 17% as a top priority since 2023
Data Sustainability: Is AI Putting the Planet at Risk?
Rising AI demands could create a tipping point for sustainability efforts
- 50% say the rise of AI has a high or extremely high impact on companies' carbon footprints
- 34% of global tech executives say AI adoption will drive major shifts in corporate sustainability processes
- 33% of global tech executives say AI adoption will drive new government energy policies and investment
- But there was a 12% decline in reducing carbon footprint as a top priority
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Technical Specifications
Exhaustive hardware and software metrics extracted directly from official documentation.
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Global tech executives anticipating unprecedented investment in AI and data management in 202540%
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Companies whose data is fully or mostly optimized for AI65% (2/3)
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Companies not optimized for AI35%
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Optimized companies anticipating unprecedented investment38%
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Non-optimized companies anticipating unprecedented investment43%
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Global tech executives who believe unifying data is essential or very important for top AI outcomes in 202579%
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Fully or mostly optimized companies that consider unifying data important88%
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Somewhat or not optimized companies that consider unifying data important61%
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Global tech executives predicting security threats will significantly increase due to AI advancements41%
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Executives noting security challenges as a significant or number one stressor59%
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Decline in cybersecurity as 'the top priority' since 2023-17%
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Comparison of AI leading vs lagging countries on security challengesAI leading countries are almost 2X as likely to see increased security challenges
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Countries surveyedIndia, Japan, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Australia/New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain
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Executives saying AI has a high or extremely high impact on companies' carbon footprints50%
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Global tech executives saying AI adoption will drive major shifts in corporate sustainability processes34%
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Global tech executives saying AI adoption will drive new government energy policies and investment33%
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Decline in reducing carbon footprint as a top priority (2023 to 2024)-12%
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AI Investment2025 will require unprecedented investment in AI and data management
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Data SilosData unification is seen as critical to AI outcomes
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Data SecurityAI adoption will bring a significant increase in security threats in 2025
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Data SustainabilityRising AI demands could create a tipping point for sustainability efforts
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