A new global study released by Amazon Web Services (AWS) shows that organizations are ramping up their investment in generative artificial intelligence.
The report indicated that 45% of surveyed IT leaders named AI their number one budget priority for 2025, edging out even cybersecurity, which garnered 30%. This shift marks a significant change in how businesses approach their technology strategies in the AI era.
The findings come from AWS’s inaugural “Generative AI Adoption Index,” conducted in partnership with tech policy firm Access Partnership. The study surveyed 3,739 senior IT decision-makers from nine countries, including the U.S., UK, Japan, and India, and spans multiple industries from financial services to manufacturing.
“AI is rapidly, rapidly being adopted,” said Rahul Pathak, AWS VP of Data & AI Go-to-Market, in an interview with GeekWire. “The fact that nine out of 10 folks are looking at this actively and putting it into play — you can’t afford to wait around.”
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Cybersecurity remains critical factor in deploying AI
According to the report, 90% of organizations already use generative AI tools in some form, and 44% have moved beyond pilot tests into real-world deployment. Still, implementation remains a challenge; of the 45 AI experiments companies conducted on average in 2024, less than half are expected to reach end-users in 2025.
Leadership is shifting, too. The study found that 60% of companies have already appointed a chief AI officer (CAIO), with another 26% planning to do so by next year. These new roles reflect how central AI has become in business transformation efforts.
Indeed, AI and cybersecurity are not mutually exclusive. Many IT leaders surveyed noted that security remains a critical factor in how they choose and deploy AI tools.
For instance, in regulated industries, advanced capacity (56%) and robust privacy and security features (48%) are among the top considerations when integrating generative AI technologies. This suggests that while AI spending is rising, security is non-negotiable for many businesses.
According to GeekWire, Pathak interpreted the finding not as a sign that organizations view AI as more important than security, but as an indication of AI’s growing impact on business. He noted that, within AI projects, security is also a top concern, including data protection and responsible AI use.
Skills gap spurs training and hiring boom
As organizations accelerate adoption, many struggle with a familiar hurdle: talent.
The survey found that 92% of companies plan to hire workers with generative AI skills in 2025. At the same time, over half have launched internal training programs, though many admit they still don’t fully understand what their employees need to learn.
Build, buy, or both? Hybrid AI strategies emerge
Instead of building AI tools from scratch, most companies blend off-the-shelf models with their data.
The report notes that 58% of businesses plan to customize existing models, and 55% will build applications using fine-tuned models trained on proprietary data. Some sectors, like finance, are moving away from traditional custom builds; 44% of firms in that space plan to use pre-built solutions.
The study also highlights a growing ecosystem around AI, with two-thirds of organizations planning to work with third-party vendors to bring these tools to life.
Rahul Pathak emphasized that the results shouldn’t be seen as AWS pushing its own agenda. “It’s not us saying it — it’s nearly 4,000 IT leaders around the world,” he told GeekWire. “If you don’t believe us, listen to them.”