NTT DATA has unveiled groundbreaking research that signals a significant shift in the application of Generative AI (GenAI) technology.
According to the report, titled Global GenAI Report: How organizations are mastering their GenAI destiny in 2025, the experimental phase of GenAI is rapidly giving way to strategic investments aimed at driving business performance, transforming workplace culture, and enhancing compliance, safety, and sustainability.
The study surveyed over 2,300 IT and business leaders from 12 industries and 34 countries, revealing that nearly all organizations have already invested in GenAI, with 83% establishing “expert” or “robust” GenAI teams. The report further shows that organizations are mostly using GenAI for personalized service recommendations, knowledge management, quality control, and research and development (R&D).
“The future is clear. Generative AI is more than just another tool – it’s a transformative force,” said Yutaka Sasaki, President and Chief Executive Officer, NTT DATA Group. “As we move beyond experimentation, a tension emerges: move too fast, and we risk unintended circumstances; move too slow and we fall behind. Getting GenAI right isn’t optional. That’s why we’re providing a blueprint to help our clients harness its potential for lasting success.”
Two-thirds of C-suite respondents believe GenAI will be a “game changer” within two years, significantly enhancing productivity, efficiency, sustainability, compliance, business processes, security, and the employee experience. However, while 83% of leaders report having a well-defined GenAI strategy, 51% admit that these strategies are not yet aligned with their broader business goals, a gap that could limit returns on investment and overall satisfaction with outcomes.
The research highlights a growing cycle of consolidation and integration of GenAI technologies. Organizations are transitioning from scattered experimentation to focused spending plans, with 97% of CEOs anticipating a material impact from GenAI and 70% expecting significant transformation by 2025. However, challenges persist, with 90% of respondents citing legacy infrastructure as a major barrier to effective GenAI adoption, emphasizing the critical need for cloud-based solutions as the most practical approach for supporting GenAI applications.
The report also emphasizes the importance of equipping the workforce for a GenAI-driven future. While 96% of organizations recognize the potential of GenAI to streamline workflows, 67% of respondents noted their employees lack the necessary skills to work with the technology. To address this gap, approximately half of the organizations are planning to implement employee training and education programs to facilitate adoption. The survey cited limited user awareness, resistance to the technology, and concerns about safety and security as being major obstacles to GenAI adoption globally.
As GenAI infuses into daily life, balancing responsibility and innovation will be a moral imperative as well as a strategic necessity for leaders, organizations and society as a whole. Leaders largely recognize a mandate to strike this balance. According to the report, 81% of leaders believe it is vital to balance innovation with responsibility, while 72% admit their organizations lack a formal GenAI usage policy.
Some of the other major concerns cited by the survey include intellectual property protection, unclear government regulations, and increased regulatory compliance costs. Notably, 45% of Chief Information Security Officers expressed feeling “pressured, threatened, or overwhelmed” by the rapid advancements in GenAI. Despite these challenges, there is a sense of optimism, with 68% of respondents globally expressing excitement and amazement at the transformative potential of GenAI.
“This is a powerful point in world history as GenAI is shaping up to be a huge force in our tech-enabled economy,” remarked Abhijit Dubey, Chief Executive Officer, NTT DATA, Inc. “In supporting and driving this next era, NTT DATA feels an acute responsibility to our clients, our people, and society to ensure that everything we design, implement, deploy, and manage is highly resilient, capable, and responsible.”
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