Businesses finally seeing AI ROI, but 62% can’t handle the storage demands
A Seagate Technology study found that 99% of IT leaders expect AI to increase their organizations' storage needs over the next three years, while only 38% say they are prepared to meet those demands. The 2026 Data Infrastructure Readiness Report, published September 14, is based on a survey of 2,712 enterprise technology decision-makers across the US, China, India, the UK, Germany, France, and Japan, conducted by Recon Analytics on Seagate's behalf in May and June 2026.
Among respondents, 32% anticipate storage demand will grow by more than 50% due to AI. The most commonly reported challenge to deploying AI is data quality and readiness, cited by 53%, followed by storage infrastructure at 43%. Compute availability was cited by 27% and energy constraints by 24%.
Seagate's report also found that 86% of organizations see moderate or significant returns on AI investments, with one-third reporting significant measurable returns. Ninety-eight percent agreed AI is transforming storage into a strategic element of business infrastructure, and 76% ranked data centers among their top three infrastructure investment priorities, with one in five naming it their highest priority.
On sustainability, 77% said they had delayed or restructured AI infrastructure expansion due to sustainability or energy concerns, and 36% said they had significantly revised expansion plans. AI-associated energy consumption was the top environmental concern at 52%, followed by carbon emissions and energy use at 51%. Ninety-seven percent agreed extending infrastructure lifecycle can improve sustainability, and 94% anticipated more sustainable storage operations within five years.
Seagate describes the need for continued investment in data strategy, governance, and AI infrastructure as "sustainable scaling." The report concludes that the defining factor for organizations will be their ability to keep data available and ready for use while managing infrastructure demands that accompany growth.
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Publisher excerpt
A Seagate study finds that 99% of IT leaders expect AI to drive increased data storage needs, but only 38% are prepared to meet them, revealing a significant readiness gap.