A new study by IDC and NetApp finds up to 20% of AI projects fail due to inadequate data infrastructure, highlighting its critical role in successful AI implementation.

The study also found a significant disparity in data access, with "AI Masters" prioritising well-equipped infrastructure for easy retrieval across hybrid/multi-cloud environments and diverse data types (48% structured, 43% unstructured) compared to less mature organisations.

Jonsi Stefansson, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NetApp emphasised the indispensable role of intelligent data infrastructure: "Robust data infrastructure empowers organisations with unparalleled flexibility in accessing and managing data."

Ritu Jyoti, Group Vice President, Worldwide Artificial Intelligence and Automation Research Practice, Global AI Research Lead at IDC, stressed the importance of architectural adaptability in AI initiatives' design and planning phases: "Flexible infrastructure decisions are imperative, considering the diverse data inputs to AI and GenAI workstreams."

The study also underscored the critical significance of data governance and security in the success of AI projects. Only 8% of "AI Emergents," representing less mature organisations, have standardised governance policies across all projects, compared to the 38% observed among AI Masters.

The IDC report, "Scaling AI Initiatives Responsibly: The Critical Role of an Intelligent Data Infrastructure," is based on a survey of over 1,200 global decision-makers spanning IT, data science, engineering, and software development for AI initiatives, with a significant 25% representation from the Asia Pacific region.