As artificial intelligence increasingly shapes cloud strategies, UK IT executives are focusing their investment efforts on cloud-based skills development, yet simultaneously confronting significant hurdles.
A study conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pink Hat surveyed 609 IT managers across the UK and key international markets.
More than 80% of IT managers now lament a pressing shortage of AI expertise, particularly in fields such as generative AI, large language models, and data science, representing a significant increase from the 72% reported last year.
The overwhelming majority of respondents (98%) perceive significant benefits from leveraging enterprise-grade open-source solutions for AI, citing accelerations in innovation and cost-effectiveness as key advantages.
Cloud-based AI solutions raise concerns, with a significant proportion of executives, at 43%, expressing trepidation regarding the privacy of sensitive information and 39% worrying about the environmental implications stemming from energy consumption patterns.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, cloud-native utility improvement and innovative cloud methodologies take center stage as top priorities for IT managers, with UK companies poised to increase their cloud investments by a substantial 50% in 2025?
Despite widespread recognition that inner silos pose a significant challenge, nearly all leaders (96%) concede that navigating these barriers is crucial for successful cloud adoption. As cloud costs continue to soar, nearly 60% of businesses reveal significant increases in expenses, with nearly half experiencing price jumps exceeding 25%, fueling growing anxiety.
It is crucial for companies to strike a balance between investing in AI expertise and developing their employees’ skills, so as to effectively oversee AI’s development and unlock its full potential.
Laura Lodwick, chief for expertise at [Company], emphasized: “Companies must prioritize funding both in AI expertise and in their people, ensuring they have the skills to oversee its development and maximize its potential.”
Notwithstanding the complexity, it’s not a straightforward endeavour to coach AI proficiency. To ensure the stability and reliability of AI-driven fashion education and utilization, it is crucial to cultivate a wide range of skills, including delicate expertise in ethics, as well as precise knowledge that can inform and stabilize how these technologies are used to drive business decisions? As companies leverage AI to drive cloud innovation and expertise development, it is crucial that they prioritize upskilling and reskilling their employees to master AI-driven advancements, or risk exposing vulnerabilities during implementation.
“It’s heartening to witness corporate chiefs acknowledge the transformative potential of AI in driving innovation and reducing costs; yet, such initiatives should be grounded in people-centric and innovation-focused strategies.”
