According to F5’s 2025 State of Application Strategy (SOAS) Report, 96% of global organizations are now using AI models, up from just 25% in 2023. Based on a worldwide survey of IT decision-makers, the report shows a growing willingness to entrust AI with business-critical tasks from optimizing application performance to enhancing security.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents want AI to optimize app performance, while 59% use it for cost control and automatically block emerging threats. AI gateways are also becoming standard: 50% of organizations use them to link apps with AI tools, and another 40% plan to adopt them within a year.
Operational Challenges Persist
Despite rising confidence in AI, challenges remain. Security of AI models is a top concern. Over half (60%) of organizations still rely on manual workflows, and 54% cite skill shortages as barriers to AI adoption. Cost is another hurdle, with 48% flagging it as a growing issue.
API complexity is also a central pain point. About 58% say managing APIs and custom scripts is time-consuming. Working with vendor APIs (31%), custom scripting (29%), and integrating with ticketing and management systems (23%) were flagged as the most time-consuming automation-related tasks.
F5’s Lori MacVittie emphasized the need for simplification: “AI systems are well-suited to manage complexity, but organizations must streamline operations to benefit fully.”
Hybrid Cloud Becomes the Norm
Most organizations (94%) now deploy apps across multiple environments public and private clouds, on-premises, and edge seeking flexibility, cost efficiency, and resilience over half (51%) plan to run AI models across both cloud and on-prem setups.
Notably, 79% have recently moved at least one app back from public cloud to on-prem, citing cost and security concerns.
The Road Ahead: Programmable, AI-Driven IT
By 2026, AI is expected to manage entire IT operations autonomously. Organizations that embrace programmable infrastructure will unlock greater agility and customer value, positioning themselves for long-term success.