About Our Research
In Q3 2025, theCube Research conducted a survey of 300 IT professionals in North America to explore views on AI infrastructure and data protection. The majority of respondents, 75%, were from large enterprises with over 1,000 employees, while 25% were from midmarket companies with 100 to 999 employees. This diverse participant base provided insights into the needs of businesses of different sizes regarding AI, data protection and data management. The survey included multiple industry verticals, such as manufacturing, finance, technology, and construction/engineering, capturing a wide array of challenges and dynamics. All respondents were knowledgeable IT professionals involved with AI infrastructure and data protection, ensuring the findings were well-informed.
AI Deployments Are Maturing
AI deployments are underway across industries, with the majority of respondents indicating they are either “in flight” or have already implemented AI technologies in their daily operations. This broad spectrum of applications highlights the growing importance and versatility of AI in driving business processes. Given the diverse range of use cases—from customer service automation to data analysis and predictive modeling—it’s not surprising to see such significant adoption rates.
However, it’s essential to note that this widespread implementation does not imply that every business process currently leverages AI. Many organizations are still in the initial stages of exploring AI and are carefully evaluating its potential applications and benefits. That said, there is no doubt that AI deployments have become pervasive across different sectors, indicating a collective movement towards integrating advanced technologies into core operations.
Despite this progress, our findings have also raised critical questions about the maturity of these AI implementations. Addressing these maturity questions will be essential for organizations.
AI Implementation Challenges
Our survey identified several implementation challenges associated with AI deployment. Notably, our respondents identified high costs as the primary challenge. When combined with unclear return on investment (ROI) and a lack of direction from leadership, this creates a “perfect storm” of doubt regarding adoption. The IT leaders we surveyed are clearly struggling and questioning whether the effort is truly worthwhile.
These challenges suggest a combination of traditional infrastructure issues, such as cybersecurity risks, along with a lack of technological maturity. This includes difficulties in integration, a shortage of necessary skills, inadequate data governance, and insufficient corporate guidance.
Additionally, there are pressures related to data governance and compliance risks. These factors collectively indicate a current lack of maturity within both the business and IT sectors. This creates another layer of doubt about adoption. IT leaders are clearly struggling and asking themselves if this is really worth the effort!
Pressures also abound, including data-related risks such as governance and compliance exposures. All these signs point to a current lack of maturity across the business and IT.
Wrapping Up
Stay tuned for weekly research findings on AI and cybersecurity, data protection, and compliance…
