F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV), the worldwide chief in delivering and securing each app and API, as we speak unveiled its 2025 State of AI Application Strategy Report, revealing that solely 2% of worldwide organizations are extremely able to scale AI securely throughout operations. The report compiles insights from 650 world IT leaders and extra analysis with 150 AI strategists, representing organizations with at the very least $200 million in annual income.
The report unveils stark truths concerning the state of AI readiness for enterprises as we speak and their capacity to adapt at enough speeds to maintain tempo with new improvements. Essentially the most notable findings of the report reveal that whereas 77% of firms show average AI readiness, most lack strong governance and cross-cloud safety, exposing them to dangers. In the meantime, 21% of firms fall into the low-readiness class, limiting their aggressive edge
as AI transforms industries.
F5’s analysis reveals developments illustrating the fast enlargement of AI use by as we speak’s enterprises. All instructed, 70% of reasonably prepared organizations have generative AI in lively use, and nearly everybody else is engaged on it. Moreover, 25% of apps, on common, use AI. Extremely prepared organizations usually use AI in a a lot increased share, with portfolio-wide saturation anticipated. Low-readiness organizations use AI in lower than one-quarter of their apps, usually in siloed or experimental settings. Reasonably prepared organizations presently have AI current in about one-third of purposes.
The report supplies a snapshot of the newest developments in enterprises grappling with embracing AI. Almost two-thirds of survey respondents (65%) use two or extra paid fashions and at the very least one open-source mannequin. The typical group makes use of three fashions, and the usage of a number of fashions correlates with deployment in multiple surroundings or location. Nearly all of fashions in use as we speak are paid fashions reminiscent of GPT-4, however open-source options are additionally standard. The highest open-source fashions cited are Meta’s Llama variants, Mistral AI variants, and Google’s Gemma.
“As AI turns into core to enterprise technique, readiness requires greater than experimentation—it calls for safety, scalability, and alignment,” stated John Maddison, Chief Product and Company Advertising Officer at F5. “This report highlights actionable steps for organizations to operationalize AI with confidence. AI is already remodeling safety operations, however with out mature governance and purpose-built protections, enterprises threat amplifying threats.”
Cybersecurity Challenges in AI Adoption
The report highlights crucial cybersecurity issues as organizations scale AI capabilities, revealing regarding developments about enterprises’ capacity to deal with the complexity of securing AI workloads. Key cybersecurity developments recognized within the report embody:
- Organizations see AI as a viable cybersecurity asset: 71% of all respondents already use AI to enhance safety.
- AI-specific protections are missing: Solely 18% of reasonably prepared organizations have deployed an AI firewall, with 47% aiming to have achieved so inside a yr.
- Knowledge governance weaknesses: Simply 24% of organizations apply steady information labeling, indicating decreased transparency and elevated dangers of adversarial assaults.
- Cross-cloud inconsistencies: Hybrid environments create governance gaps, leaving workflows and information uncovered to vulnerabilities.
- Expanded assault floor: Using various AI fashions exacerbates dangers with out correct management frameworks for open-source instruments.
Suggestions to Enhance AI Readiness
The report introduces the AI Readiness Index, a framework measuring six elements of operational maturity, together with safety and infrastructure alignment. F5 outlines key actions for enterprises to boost AI scalability and safety, together with:
- Diversify AI fashions: Use each paid and open-source AI instruments whereas enhancing governance to mitigate dangers.
- Increase AI use throughout workflows: Transfer past pilots and embed AI in operations, analytics, and safety for enterprise-wide transformation.
- Combine AI-specific safety: Deploy protections like AI firewalls and formalize information governance processes, together with information labeling, to safeguard workflows.
Organizations with excessive AI readiness can scale successfully, mitigate dangers, and leverage innovation strategically. These with out maturity frameworks face operational bottlenecks, compliance challenges, and stifled progress. The AI Readiness Index serves as a roadmap for enterprises to benchmark progress and implement actionable adjustments for safe scalability. Download the 2025 State of AI Application Strategy Report to benchmark your readiness, determine gaps, and speed up safe AI scaling.
“The analysis within the State of AI Software Technique Report aligns with what we’re observing throughout the Center East, the place many organizations are more and more integrating AI into their operations, usually with out all the required ranges of governance or safeguards in place,” stated Mohammed Abukhater, RVP for the Center East, Türkiye, and Africa at F5. “Whereas most firms show average AI readiness, they nonetheless want to make sure strong governance and complete cross-cloud safety to keep away from publicity to vital dangers. Consistent with the report’s AI Readiness Index, we’re dedicated to empowering our prospects to embed AI of their operations for seamless utility supply and safety.”