Generative AI tools have become the top budget priority for global IT leaders for 2025, surpassing cybersecurity, according to a study by Amazon Web Services.
The AWS Generative AI Adoption Index survey of 3,739 senior IT decision makers in nine countries shows a shift towards investing in generative AI over traditional IT tools like security.
90% of organizations are deploying generative AI technologies, with 44% already in production deployment, indicating a critical inflection point in adoption.
Organizations are appointing dedicated AI executives like Chief AI Officers, with around 60% already having such leadership roles.
Talent shortages are identified as the primary barrier to transitioning AI experiments into production, with 55% citing a lack of skilled workers.
Organizations are pursuing strategies of internal training and external recruitment to address the talent gap, with 92% planning to recruit for generative AI roles in 2025.
A shift towards hybrid approaches in AI development is seen, with 58% planning to build custom applications on pre-existing models instead of developing solutions in-house.
Regional variations in generative AI adoption rates are observed, with India and South Korea showing higher rates compared to the global average.
65% of organizations plan to rely on third-party vendors for AI projects in 2025, with a mixed approach of in-house teams and external partners being common.
Organizations are urged to embrace generative AI or risk falling behind, as the technology continues to rapidly evolve and provide significant gains in various sectors.