- Flexential’s 2024 State of AI Infrastructure Report explores key issues and priorities in AI infrastructure investments.
- Survey conducted with 350 IT leaders from large organizations, revealing optimism about AI adoption but significant challenges.
- 59% of respondents with AI roadmaps plan to increase IT infrastructure investments.
- 45% believe failing to meet AI roadmap goals will hinder innovation.
- 82% faced AI performance issues related to bandwidth shortages, unreliable connections, and data center scaling difficulties.
- C-suite and board-level involvement in AI initiatives has increased, with 53% of respondents identifying them as major drivers.
- 91% reported skills or staffing gaps related to AI, with 53% citing challenges in managing specialized computing infrastructure.
- 42% retracted AI workloads from public clouds due to data privacy and security concerns.
- 51% are addressing performance issues by using third-party colocation data centers.
- 94% are willing to invest more in data centers or cloud vendors that use clean or renewable energy.
Main AI News:
Flexential, a leading provider of secure and flexible data center solutions, has announced the release of its 2024 State of AI Infrastructure Report. This comprehensive survey delves into the pressing issues and strategic priorities surrounding AI infrastructure investments as businesses across various industries prepare for extensive AI adoption. The report emphasizes critical areas where IT leaders need to upgrade their infrastructure to handle the increasing demands of high-density AI workloads and latency-sensitive applications.
Conducted with 350 IT leaders from organizations with annual revenues over $100 million—including 100 from companies generating more than $2 billion annually—the survey highlights a strong sense of optimism about AI integration. However, IT leaders face significant hurdles related to scalability, workforce skills gaps, security concerns, sustainability issues, and executive buy-in. Among those with AI roadmaps, 59% are planning to increase their IT infrastructure investments. The findings also reveal that 45% of respondents believe that failing to achieve their AI roadmap goals could hinder their innovation capabilities, indicating a need for a strategic and proactive approach to AI infrastructure.
Despite the enthusiasm, AI infrastructure investments are encountering substantial obstacles. The survey reports that 82% of respondents have faced AI performance issues in the past year due to challenges such as bandwidth shortages (43%), unreliable connections (41%), and difficulties in scaling data center space and power (34%). Chris Downie, CEO of Flexential, remarked, “The stakes for AI infrastructure investments are high. While enterprise leaders are keen to advance their AI initiatives, many are restrained by infrastructure challenges and leadership hurdles. Our survey underscores the critical need to address data center requirements to fulfill AI roadmaps and enhance performance through strategic IT service partnerships.“
Additional insights from Flexential’s report include:
- Increased C-suite Pressure: AI initiatives are increasingly driven by executive leadership and boards, with 53% of respondents identifying these groups as key influencers. This has resulted in heightened support and scrutiny for AI investments.
- Talent Shortages: A significant 91% of respondents reported experiencing skills or staffing gaps related to AI over the past 12 months, with 53% noting difficulties in managing specialized computing infrastructure.
- Security Concerns: Data privacy and security are top priorities, with 42% of organizations retracting AI workloads from public clouds due to these concerns.
- Performance Challenges: To address performance issues, 51% of respondents are utilizing third-party colocation data centers to process data closer to the network edge.
- Sustainability Focus: A notable 94% of respondents are willing to pay a premium for data centers or cloud vendors that use clean or renewable energy and/or purchase credits to offset carbon footprints.
Conclusion:
Flexential’s 2024 survey underscores the urgent need for businesses to address significant infrastructure challenges and invest strategically in AI capabilities. The findings reveal that while there is strong enthusiasm for AI adoption, companies face persistent obstacles such as performance issues, security concerns, and skill shortages. To remain competitive and fully leverage AI technologies, organizations must enhance their IT infrastructure and explore strategic partnerships. The increasing pressure from C-suite and board-level leaders highlights the critical role of executive support in driving successful AI initiatives.
