A recent survey of 154 large enterprises, conducted by VK Tech and MARC, reveals that AI adoption is no longer a side project. It's now the primary driver for rebuilding data architectures from the ground up. The numbers are telling: 74% of firms plan to invest in AI solutions within two years, and 71% will increase budgets for their data offices by 2026.

Investment priorities are clear. Companies are targeting AI agents (62%), machine learning systems (53%), and generative AI/LLM technologies (51%). To support these initiatives, they are demanding resilient storage, unified data platforms, and stronger data quality tools. Consequently, 45% of respondents cite implementing AI/LLM solutions as a core mandate for their data office, while 40% are focused on modernizing underlying data infrastructure.

Ekaterina Kanunnikova, Director of Product for Data Services at VK Tech, observes a strategic shift. "Businesses are now budgeting for AI as part of a comprehensive data transformation," she notes. "This drives demand for cost-effective, scalable foundations like S3-compatible object storage and lakehouse architectures. The goal is to control scaling costs, reduce complexity, and improve data quality for both analytics and AI."

The survey identifies data security as the foremost challenge, followed by quality control and rising demands on the tech stack. This indicates that infrastructure investment isn't optional; it's the prerequisite for realizing any AI potential. The trend coincides with VK Tech's reported 38% annual revenue growth, reaching 18.8 billion rubles in 2025, suggesting the market for these foundational tools is expanding rapidly.

Source: Lenta.RU