A new global report from Unisys reveals a sharp disconnect between companies’ ambitions to adopt emerging technologies and their ability to support them. Despite strong momentum around generative AI, most organizations remain unprepared to manage the scale, data volumes, and security challenges these tools require.
The study, From Complexity to Clarity: Modernizing Cloud and IT for What Comes Next, surveyed 1,000 IT and C-suite executives across eight markets. It found that 78% of organizations plan to boost investments in Generative AI, yet only 36% say they are ready to support large-scale AI workloads. Readiness levels are even lower for edge computing (34%) and quantum computing (32%). While 82% of leaders view cloud and IT as profit centers, fewer than half are satisfied with returns from cloud, automation, or AI initiatives.
Executives see AI as critical for competitiveness — 73% cite agency AI as essential to stay ahead — but gaps in infrastructure and security threaten progress. Just 14% of leaders feel prepared for post-quantum cryptography, and 85% admit their cybersecurity posture is reactive rather than proactive. Though 62% are moving toward zero-trust models and 61% prioritize cyber recovery, only 43% have deployed AI-driven security.
“Organizations need to modernize infrastructure, align IT with business priorities, and take a proactive stance on cybersecurity to fully leverage GenAI and agent AI,” says Manju Naglapur, Senior Vice President at Unisys. Without these steps, many risk falling short on ROI — and falling behind in the next wave of disruption.
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