With the fervent push to inject AI into everything, data analytics is evolving alongside IT roles, database architectures, and more. Worldwide, IT spending is expected to total $5.06 trillion in 2024, an increase of 8% from 2023, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc. This is an increase from the previous quarter’s forecast of 6.8% growth and puts worldwide IT spending on track to surpass $8 trillion before the end of the decade.
The driver of this growth? Generative AI. GenAI brings about diverse media types, assisting in strategy creation, predictive modeling, and product development, while impacting content marketing and customer service.
“We are seeing a cycle of story, plan, execution when it comes to GenAI. In 2023, enterprises were telling the story of GenAI and in 2024 we are seeing most of them planning for eventual execution in 2025,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner. “Technology providers are required to be a step ahead of this cycle and are already in the execution phase. They are bringing GenAI capabilities to existing products and services, as well as to use cases being identified by their enterprise clients.”
But with the explosive growth of AI comes a host of ethical concerns. Ethical use of data starts with how it is collected. There’s a growing emphasis on gaining explicit consent from individuals before gathering their personal data. Other ethical considerations involve ensuring AI systems are fair and do not perpetuate existing societal biases, particularly in sensitive areas such as hiring, law enforcement, loan approvals, and healthcare.
Organizations are encouraged to be transparent about how they use data. Transparency builds trust with users and stakeholders, guaranteeing that data is not used in ways that could be considered deceptive.
Companies are expected to use data in a manner that benefits society, such as improving public health outcomes, enhancing educational tools, or addressing environmental issues.
All these considerations call for responsible innovation, which is balancing the pursuit of technological advancements with consideration for potential negative impacts on society.
According to Immuta’s 2024 “State of Data Security Report,” about 35% of data professionals prioritize data security- related initiatives, such as implementing more robust data governance and security controls. This trend is in response to the rapid evolution of AI and its impact on data security, with 56% of respondents citing the exposure of sensitive data via AI prompts as a significant concern.
A multifaceted approach—such as incorporating encryption, access control, and threat detection mechanisms—is recommended to prevent the increasing rates of cyberattacks and breaches.
Hybrid and multi-cloud solutions continue to rise in popularity, eliminating vendor lock-in and enhancing flexibility. By integrating public and private cloud environments, organizations can leverage existing infrastructure while gaining scalability, security, and redundancy. This approach optimizes storage resource allocation, strengthens disaster recovery capabilities, and fosters agility in response to evolving business requirements.
Everything is connected, and because of these recent advances, data professionals are rethinking their data architectures as the concepts of data mesh and data fabric gain traction. Data mesh is a highly decentralized, self-service architecture in which datasets are managed or controlled by business units across enterprises. Data fabric is a more centralized architecture that supports metadata designed to integrate disparate, multiple data platforms and pipelines that simplify access to these assets.
To help bring new resources and innovation to light, each year, Database Trends and Applications magazine presents the DBTA 100, a list of forward-thinking companies seeking to expand what’s possible with data for their customers. Spanning the wide range of established legacy technologies from MultiValue to cutting-edge breakthroughs such as the data lakehouse, data mesh, and data fabric, the DBTA 100 is a list of hardware, software, and service providers working to enable their customers’ data-driven future.
Beyond our list, DBTA presents the View From the Top section, featuring articles written by industry executives detailing how they are helping customers handle their data management problems and maximize opportunities. We encourage you to learn more about these innovative organizations by visiting their websites. And, to stay on top of the latest news, IT trends, and research, go to www.dbta.com.