Globally, 65% of companies report that their data is fully or mostly optimized for Artificial Intelligence (AI), while in Spain, this percentage drops to 55%. Although progress has been made, investment in AI and data management will continue to be crucial heading into 2025. In fact, 40% of executives worldwide, in line with 37% of Spaniards, believe that investment in data infrastructure will be necessary to meet future growing demands.
This is one of the main conclusions of the second edition of the Data Complexity Report from NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, which analyzes how organizations worldwide manage their data to deploy artificial intelligence. The report provides a global view of the impact this technology will have on organizations starting in 2025: “The coming year is shaping up to be critical for AI, as organizations move from experimentation to scaling their artificial intelligence capabilities,” states Maite Ramos, General Manager of NetApp in Iberia. “Our Data Complexity Report this year shows that companies are making significant investments to drive innovation and efficiency, but these efforts will only succeed if global technology leaders can address the growing challenges of data complexity, security, and sustainability. An intelligent data infrastructure, with unified data storage as a foundation, will be key to unlocking the potential of AI.”
Are Data Silos a Barrier to Achieving Better AI Outcomes?
Unifying data has become a priority when implementing AI projects. Globally, 79% of executives acknowledge that unifying data is critical to achieving the best outcomes. This trend is also reflected in Spain, where 77% believe that data unification will be essential to meet their objectives by 2025.
Companies that prioritize data unification are more likely to achieve their goals. Globally, only 23% of organizations working to unify their data believe they won’t meet their goals, compared to 30% of those who do not prioritize this aspect. Similarly, in Spain, 33% of executives state that fragmented or customized storage infrastructures significantly complicate data management, highlighting a major challenge for the future.
Looking ahead, companies that successfully overcome the barriers of data silos will be better positioned to harness the transformative potential of AI and remain competitive in an increasingly demanding environment.
Data Security: Will Cyber Threats Increase with AI?
The adoption of AI is accompanied by a significant rise in security threats, according to 41% of global technology executives and 31% of Spaniards for 2025. In fact, in Spain, 40% of executives consider security threats to be one of the causes of complexity in their data storage infrastructure, while 34% cite data privacy issues.
Globally, countries with advanced AI development, such as India, Japan, and the United States, face almost double the security issues compared to those less advanced, such as Germany, France, and Spain. Nevertheless, the impact of security remains one of the primary concerns in Spain, where 60% of IT professionals view security threats related to AI as one of the most stressful factors, matching the global average of 59%.
In this regard, cybersecurityCybersecurity solutions are essential in today’s era… remains one of the top priorities for executives and high-level managers in Spain, with 33% ranking it among their primary concerns, in line with the global average of 38%. However, there are signs of progress: the focus on cybersecurity as a top priority globally has decreased by 17% since 2023, suggesting that implemented strategies are beginning to yield results.
The Importance of Sustainability in Data
With the rapid advancement of AI adoption, environmental impact and sustainability have become key elements for companies. Globally, 34% of technology executives anticipate significant changes in corporate sustainability processes—compared to 26% of Spaniards—while 33% foresee new government energy policies and increased investments. However, the focus on reducing carbon footprints has decreased globally, from 84% of companies in 2023 to 72% in 2024, reflecting the complexity of balancing the benefits of AI with its environmental costs. In Spain, the commitment to sustainability is clear: 69% of companies consider carbon footprint reduction as one of their top concerns.
However, the increasing volume of data and the demand for greater infrastructure due to AI pose challenges to organizations. In Spain, 77% of companies perceive a high impact from these factors on their sustainability initiatives, with 38% rating it as extremely high. Furthermore, sustainability is not limited to internal operations. 64% of national companies consider product sustainability to be a very important or important factor when choosing flash storage providers, reflecting an increased awareness of environmental responsibility throughout the value chain.
In light of this scenario, investing in an intelligent and sustainable data infrastructure will be crucial. As Maite Ramos states: “The transformative potential of AI depends on secure, scalable, and sustainable data strategies. Organizations that lead in advanced analytics and responsible strategies will not only drive their innovation but also ensure resilience and sustainability in their operations.”