India tops world artificial intelligence race: NetApp-Savanta report

Intelligent data infrastructure company NetApp’s recently released report on cloud complexity suggests a clear divide between countries at the forefront and behind on the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). The report provides global insights about the progress, readiness, challenges and pace of AI adoption and the critical role of integrated data infrastructure in achieving AI success.

According to the NetApp report, countries like India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States are leading in AI adoption and innovation. In contrast, countries such as Spain, Australia and Germany are identified as lagging behind in this technological advancement.

The report, conducted in collaboration with Savanta, surveyed more than 1,300 executives from ten countries to assess the state of AI implementation across various industries.

It revealed that 60 percent of companies in leading countries like India, Singapore, Britain and the US have AI projects running or in the pilot stage. In contrast, only 36 percent of companies in AI-lagging countries like Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan have launched similar AI initiatives.

The report also shows that, both AI leaders and AI laggards show differences in their attitudes towards AI. Globally, 67 percent of companies in AI-leading countries have hybrid IT environments, with India leading with 70 percent and Japan trailing with 24 percent.

AI leaders are more likely to report benefits from AI, including a 50 percent increase in production rates, 46 percent improvement in automation of routine activities, and 45 percent improvement in customer experience.

“The rise of AI is ushering in a new disrupt-or-die era,” said Gabby Bocco, chief marketing officer at NetApp. “Data-ready enterprises that connect and integrate comprehensive structured and unstructured data sets into an intelligent data infrastructure are best positioned to win in the age of AI.”

The report suggests that AI-lagging countries must innovate and adopt AI faster if they are to remain competitive. About 42 percent of companies in AI-lagging countries have adapted their IT environments for AI. 67 percent of companies in Germany and 59 percent of companies in Spain have adapted their IT environments for AI.

“AI is only as good as the data that fuels it,” said Pravjit Tiwana, general manager and senior vice president of cloud storage at NetApp. “Both AI leaders and AI laggards show us that in the prevalent hybrid IT environment, the more integrated and trusted your data is, the more likely your AI initiatives are to succeed.”

IT costs and data security remain major challenges to AI adoption and innovations, but will not stop AI progress, the report said.

The report concludes that the disparity underlines the growing importance of AI in driving economic growth, innovation and competitiveness globally.

Nations that are proactive in adopting AI technology are likely to reap significant benefits in a variety of sectors, including finance, health care, manufacturing, and transportation. However, those who are slow to take risks will be left behind in the race for technological dominance and its attendant benefits.