AI ambitions overtake data reality
A new global study by Cloudera reveals a growing paradox: almost all companies rely on AI - but almost four out of five struggle with limited access to data. The so-called «AI readiness illusion» jeopardizes sustainable results.
Globally, 96 percent of the companies surveyed are already integrating AI into their business processes. Nevertheless, almost four out of five report that restricted access to data is hindering their AI and data initiatives. This is shown by the new «Data Readiness Index» from Cloudera, which examines how well prepared companies are for the use of AI on a large scale.
The «AI readiness illusion»
85% of the companies surveyed worldwide have a clearly defined data strategy - in the EMEA region, this figure is as high as 92%. Despite this, 42 percent of respondents in Europe state that complicated access requirements make it difficult to use data effectively. This discrepancy describes what Cloudera calls the «AI readiness illusion»: the belief that companies are equipped to scale AI, even though fundamental data issues remain unresolved.
Sergio Gago, Chief Technology Officer at Cloudera, puts it in a nutshell: «Companies are not struggling with the introduction of AI. They are struggling to move beyond experimentation and into practice. AI is only as good as the data that feeds it. Without seamless access to all their data, companies are limiting the accuracy, confidence and business value that AI can deliver.»
ROI remains elusive
AI has arrived in most companies, but a sustainable return on investment is still difficult to achieve. When AI initiatives fail, respondents worldwide and in EMEA cite the same reasons: Data quality issues top the list at 22 percent globally and 18 percent in Europe, followed by cost overruns at 16 percent each and poor integration into existing workflows at 15 percent globally.
Infrastructural bottlenecks exacerbate the problem: almost three quarters of respondents worldwide (73%) and in EMEA (74%) report that performance bottlenecks hinder operational initiatives. 40 percent experience this frequently, 34 percent occasionally. In view of these bottlenecks, it is not surprising that EMEA organizations are investing particularly heavily in modern infrastructure: 90% are planning to increase their cloud spending, compared to just 65% globally.
Data gap: Access, governance and transparency
Globally, 84 percent of respondents said they trusted their company's data. But this optimism masks deeper problems: Data silos, inconsistent quality and limited accessibility. Globally and in EMEA, 34% of respondents cite isolated data pools as a serious obstacle to collaboration and data-driven decision-making.
The contrast in EMEA is particularly revealing: 89% of respondents state that they do not have a complete overview of where 100% of their data is stored. At the same time, 41% cite limited data transparency as a concrete obstacle to the effective use of their data. A similar picture emerges for data governance: globally, less than one in five respondents (18%) state that their data is fully managed. In Europe, this figure is higher at 26%, but here too, the majority of data remains insufficiently controlled.
Data readiness as a competitive factor
As AI moves from the experimental phase to widespread implementation, data readiness is becoming a decisive competitive factor. Organizations that can fully access and control their data, regardless of where it is stored, are much better positioned to use AI in a reliable and scalable way.
The willingness to change is fundamentally there: 96% of EMEA respondents are ready to introduce new governance frameworks and around 91% are confident that their data infrastructure can support the strategic priorities of the next two to three years. However, as long as governance gaps remain and data is not fully integrated, the full potential of AI will remain untapped. Those who close the gap between strategy and implementation will be best positioned to achieve sustainable impact with AI.
The complete report «The Data Readiness Index: Understanding the Foundations for Successful AI» has been published by Cloudera on its website. The study is based on a survey of 1,270 IT executives from the AMER, EMEA and APAC regions in companies with more than 1,000 employees, which was conducted from January 22 to March 3, 2026.
