Artificial intelligence has evolved from a concept of science fiction to a pivotal technology reshaping global business landscapes. Its capacity to streamline operations and refine decision-making is propelling organisations towards its adoption.
Findings from the 2024 State of IT survey by Spiceworks reveal that 57% of organisations are poised to integrate AI solutions shortly. Among these, a quarter have already begun infusing AI into their workflows, and 32% plan to follow suit within the next two years.
Carlos Salas, a cybersecurity expert at NordLayer, comments on the trend: “The adoption of AI technology across industries is both exciting and concerning from a cybersecurity perspective. While AI can revolutionise business operations and drive efficiency, it also introduces new attack vectors and risks that organisations must be prepared to address.”
Focus on cybersecurity investment
The survey further enquires about corporate IT budgets, finding that 66% of organisations anticipate an increase in their IT spending in 2024 compared to the previous year. Conversely, 4% are reducing their IT budgets, and 30% foresee no change.
Key drivers for expanding IT budgets include the necessity to refresh obsolete IT infrastructure and a heightened emphasis on IT projects for over half of the organisations (52%). Furthermore, 48% cite escalating security concerns as a significant reason for increased IT spending.
NordLayer’s 2023 research delves into corporate expenditures on IT and cybersecurity, highlighting the prevalence of investing in cybersecurity solutions/services/apps (61%) and employee cybersecurity training (56%) as top priorities last year.
The study indicates that 35% of companies were prepared to dedicate up to a quarter of their total budget to IT needs in the previous year, with another 32% willing to allocate up to half. A small fraction (3%) did not plan any cybersecurity investments in 2023, primarily consisting of smaller enterprises.
Salas adds: “The fact that two-thirds of organisations are boosting their IT budgets for 2024 is an encouraging sign that businesses recognise the role technology plays in driving innovation and competitiveness. As AI adoption accelerates, allocating adequate resources for cybersecurity will be crucial to safeguarding these cutting-edge technologies and the sensitive data they process.”
