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A new report highlights that 81% of companies are already deploying AI, while countries compete to become the next technological superpower.
The technology company NetApp has published its report The AI Space Race, a detailed analysis of the international competition to lead innovation in artificial intelligence (AI). Based on surveys of 800 business executives (400 CEOs and 400 IT leaders) in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and India, the study confirms that AI has become a strategic priority for organizations, and that the race to dominate this key technology is just beginning.
According to the report, more than 81% of respondents are currently in the testing or deployment phase of AI projects, and 88% consider themselves "prepared" or "very prepared" to sustain AI-driven transformations. While the U.S. appears to be the best-positioned country in the long term (with 43% of responses), the study reveals an open competition, with all participating countries considering themselves competitive in this new technological "space race."
Scalability vs. Integration: Diverging Approaches
The strategy to achieve global leadership in AI varies by region. While China prioritizes scalability and rapid deployment (with 35% of its respondents emphasizing this capability, 11 points above the global average), countries like the U.S., United Kingdom, and India place more importance on integration with existing systems, focusing on sustainable evolution that maximizes long-term business value.
However, the report also detects internal misalignment within organizations, especially in China, where 92% of CEOs claim to have active AI projects, compared to 74% of their IT leaders. In the U.S., there is greater synchronization: 77% of CEOs and 86% of CIOs confirm ongoing initiatives.
Data Infrastructure, Key to Winning the Race
Executives agree that one of the most decisive factors for success in AI will be having a smart, secure, scalable, and flexible data infrastructure. According to Russell Fishman, senior director of product management at NetApp, "Organizations that can extract the maximum value from their data will lead the next era of AI."
In fact, 79% of respondents express concern about broken models and biases in results, stemming from inadequate data and cloud strategies. In this context, data governance and observability become fundamental requirements for achieving reliable and sustainable outcomes.
Who Will Lead the Next Decade of Innovation?
The report emphasizes that leadership in AI will not be measured solely by the number of active projects or the scale of investment, but by organizations’ ability to align their ambitions with technological reality, reduce bias, and build infrastructures that allow scaling without compromising security or operational agility.
“In the 1960s, the space race drove scientific innovation through national pride. Today, the ‘race for AI’ will determine the global order for decades,” noted Gabie Boko, Chief Marketing Officer at NetApp. “Regions that prepare their data for AI will achieve unique competitive advantages and real transformation.”
NetApp, Partner in the Race for AI
NetApp, specialized in smart data infrastructure, positions itself as a key partner in this global competition. Its solutions enable the unification and management of data without silos, optimize workloads with artificial intelligence, and operate flexibly in both on-premises and cloud environments.
Source: netapp