Study: Only 2% of Global Organizations Are Fully Prepared for AI at Scale, Says F5 Report
Only 2% of global organizations are adequately prepared to scale artificial intelligence (AI) securely across their operations, according to F5’s newly released 2025 State of AI Application Strategy report.
The report, published by F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV), a global leader in securing every application and API, is based on insights from 650 global IT leaders and additional research involving 150 AI strategists from organizations generating annual revenues of at least $200 million.
Despite 77% of surveyed organizations demonstrating moderate readiness to adopt AI, the report reveals that most still lack robust governance and security frameworks—particularly across hybrid and multi-cloud environments—leaving them vulnerable to risk.
Meanwhile, 21% of organizations fall into the low-readiness category, severely limiting their competitiveness in an era of rapid AI-driven disruption across industries.
AI Adoption Expands, But Readiness Lags Behind
F5’s research shows that 70% of moderately ready organizations are actively deploying generative AI. On average, AI is embedded in 25% of enterprise applications. For highly prepared organizations, the integration rate is significantly higher, with expectations of full adoption across their application portfolios. Conversely, low-readiness organizations tend to apply AI in isolated or experimental use cases.
A key insight from the report is the widespread use of multiple AI models: 65% of respondents reported using two or more proprietary models and at least one open-source model. On average, organizations deploy three AI models, often across multiple environments.
While proprietary models like GPT-4 dominate usage, open-source alternatives such as Meta’s Llama, Google’s Gemma, and Mistral AI are gaining traction, especially in multi-cloud settings.
> “As AI becomes central to enterprise strategy, readiness requires more than experimentation—it demands robust security, scalability, and governance,” said John Maddison, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at F5. “Organizations must take concrete steps to integrate AI with confidence, or risk amplifying cybersecurity threats instead of solving them.”
Cybersecurity Challenges Undermine AI Progress
The report highlights growing security concerns as organizations scale AI capabilities:
71% of respondents already use AI to strengthen cybersecurity defenses.
However, only 18% of moderately ready organizations have deployed AI-specific firewalls, though 47% plan to do so within a year.
Just 24% of organizations consistently classify data, indicating poor visibility and increased vulnerability to adversarial attacks.
Hybrid and multi-cloud environments continue to expose gaps in governance and data protection.
The use of diverse AI models without unified controls is expanding the attack surface significantly.
Recommendations for Building AI Resilience
F5’s report introduces the AI Readiness Index, a framework that assesses six dimensions of operational maturity, including infrastructure alignment and cybersecurity integration. Key recommendations include:
Diversifying AI model strategies by combining commercial and open-source tools while strengthening governance to reduce risk.
Scaling AI across business workflows, beyond pilots, to embed intelligence into analytics, automation, and cybersecurity.
Implementing AI-specific security tools, such as dedicated firewalls and data classification systems, to safeguard operations.
Organizations with high AI readiness are better equipped to scale securely, foster innovation, and meet compliance demands. Those lacking mature frameworks may face stalled growth, operational inefficiencies, and heightened regulatory exposure.
> “We’re seeing similar trends across the Middle East, where many organizations are integrating AI but still lack the security and governance required to do so safely,” said Mohamed Abokhater, Regional VP of Sales for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at F5. “The AI Readiness Index offers a roadmap to help enterprises navigate their transformation securely and effectively.”