AI is key to innovation but infrastructure and other challenges hold back progress
A new report from Pure Storage finds that the emergence of AI is a key avenue for innovation, but infrastructure issues, talent shortages and energy costs are holding back progress.
Based on a survey of 1,500 global respondents carried out by Vanson Bourne the report finds that although CIOs and other senior IT leaders face significant economic pressures, driving innovation remains imperative for enterprises.
In the UK most IT leaders (91 percent) recognize AI as a substantial opportunity for transforming their organization. Almost all businesses are already planning or adopting AI, with 42 percent even developing an AI-first strategy. Almost half of IT budgets and time are expected to be spent on AI in the next year.
There are, however, challenges. A third of UK businesses see rising energy costs as a threat to their ability to innovate, a challenge that's felt more acutely in the UK than globally.
Some 34 percent say technology debt is a real challenge and teams are struggling to keep up the pace of innovation, with 56 percent focused on keeping on the lights and firefighting -- the UK is highest here among countries in the global report. A growing tech talent shortage is compounding the struggle, with 37 percent saying it's one of the greatest risks impacting their ability to innovate.
"Plagued with concerns about their infrastructure’s ability to support AI, UK IT leaders fear losing the Innovation Race," says Wes van den Berg, regional vice president, UK and Ireland at Pure Storage. "This research aims to help them understand all the risks to their organization beyond the obvious cyberthreats, enabling them to prioritize and strike a balance between security and innovation. Addressing rising energy costs and assessing AI readiness with a hybrid infrastructure approach can significantly benefit their efforts to harness AI for future success."
The full report is available on the Pure Storage site.
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