Survey: CTERA Finds AI Ambitions Outpace Readiness

Integrated data intelligence organization CTERA released new details from its 2025 State of Data and Cloud Strategy Survey Report, finding that enthusiasm for AI outpaces organizational readiness for the technology. 

IT leaders prioritizing AI as ransomware concerns also remain high

The report surveyed 300 senior IT and security leaders across the U.S., EMEA, and APAC regions, all of whom work in organizations with more than 2,500 employees.

According to the report, 57 percent of IT and cybersecurity leaders are prioritizing AI for 2025.

It also found that a large percentage of those surveyed (80 percent) are prioritizing cybersecurity to handle ransomware, as well as 61 percent prioritizing cost optimization in their strategic plans.

The report emphasizes how large ransomware looms in the minds of security leaders. Every organization surveyed said they experienced a ransomware attack in the past two years, and 17 percent of organizations reported at least partial data loss across the organization. 

Further, 10 percent paid the ransom, while 14 percent did not know how their attack was resolved.

Survey shows investors are pushing for AI adoption even as skills gap persists

Key survey findings include:

• AI adoption is in its early stages, with 70 percent of organizations reporting partial deployment of AI-based assistants and another 27 percent in pilot phases, indicating that most organizations are preparing for wider AI integration.
• Investors are pushing many organizations (64 percent) to implement AI for improved customer experience, enhance predictive intelligence (64 percent), and boost query accuracy (53 percent).
  • However, only 10 percent are focused on closing skills gaps, highlighting a disconnect that could hinder the achievement of these goals.
• In terms of hurdles for deploying AI tools:
  • 67 percent cite compliance and regulatory concerns as significant 
  • 57 percent cite security risks such as data exposure or misuse 
  • 45 percent cite data silos limiting AI access 
  • 44 percent cite the cost of implementation and maintenance.
• 61 percent of IT and security leaders are prioritizing cloud technologies over private data centers. 
• 26 percent of C-level executives strongly prioritize cloud technologies over private data centers compared with just 11 percent of VPs and 9 percent of directors.

Enterprises continue to balance security concerns with AI demands

“Enterprises are navigating an evolving landscape of IT priorities, trying to balance immediate cybersecurity needs with forward-thinking AI strategies,” said Cheryle Cushio, CTERA’s SVP of marketing. “We understand these challenges very well. CTERA’s Intelligent Data Platform offers a path to robust ransomware resilience, streamlined cloud storage deployment, and seamless cloud migration aligning with both strategic leadership and operational execution.”

When it comes to selecting AI tools for unlocking more value from their data, those surveyed strongly prioritize security (85 percent) and compliance (66 percent). This emphasizes that organizations are seeking AI tools that perform securely while also meeting shifting regulatory demands.

Additionally, performance ranks fourth (51 percent), a sign that nearly half of organizations prioritize trust, governance, or cost over whether a tool can actually deliver business results.

Recently, NVIDIA released new algorithms to address AI-related data bottlenecks to help MSPs scale AI workloads. Read more about NVIDIA’s Spectrum-XGS Ethernet algorithms to boost GPU-to-GPU data transfer across data centers.