Only 9% of companies in Spain are fully ready to adopt and take advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, a slight increase from 8% the previous year. This is highlighted in Cisco’s second AI Readiness Index study, where they reveal that despite this slight improvement, both companies and administrations continue to face great challenges in implementing and maximizing the use of AI.
The rapid evolution of the market and the significant impact expected from this technology on business operations make this preparation gap especially worrying.
«“Artificial Intelligence forces us to rethink power requirements, computing needs, high-performance connectivity within and between data centers, data requirements, security and more”comments Jeetu Patel, Chief Product Officer at Cisco. “Regardless of where they are on their AI journey, organizations must prepare existing data centers and cloud strategies to respond to changing AI requirements with agility and resilience.”.
Urgency and expectations in AI
AI has become a fundamental pillar of business strategy, and the urgency to adopt and implement it has increased. In Spain, 97% of organizations surveyed reported a greater rush to implement AI in the last year, driven mainly by CEOs (49%), other managers (41%) and investors (41%). Additionally, 38% of companies believe they have a maximum of twelve months to successfully implement their AI strategy.
However, despite significant investments in AI in strategic areas such as cybersecurity, IT infrastructure and data analysis, 60% of Spanish companies consider that the return on these investments still does not meet their expectations.
Resources and strategic areas
Companies in Spain are allocating significant resources to AI, with almost half (47%) allocating between 10% and 30% of their IT budget to these technologies. Investments have focused on three key areas: cybersecurity (48% in advanced implementation), data management (35%) and data analytics (34%).
The main objectives are to improve the efficiency of systems and processes, innovate to remain competitive, and increase revenue and market share.
Investment remains on the rise: almost half of the Spanish organizations consulted (47%) allocate between 10% and 30% of their current IT budget to the implementation of AI
Over time, investments in AI are expected to increase. 17% of organizations in Spain plan to allocate more than 40% of their IT budget to AI in the next four to five years, a significant increase from the current 2%.
Infrastructure, a critical pillar
Infrastructure readiness remains a challenge, especially in terms of computing, network performance, and cybersecurity. Only 21% of Spanish companies have the GPUs necessary to meet current and future AI demands, and only 30% have adequate capabilities to protect data in AI models with end-to-end encryption, security audits, continuous monitoring and immediate response to threats.
Companies recognize the need to improve their infrastructure to effectively leverage AI. 41% of companies in Spain consider that improving the scalability, flexibility and management capacity of their IT infrastructure is a priority.
The lack of qualified talent is another of the main challenges in infrastructure, data and governance. Only 23% of Spanish organizations believe that their professionals are highly prepared to make the most of AI, while 34% believe that there is not enough talent available in their sector with the right skills to meet the growing demand for AI.
