Businesses worldwide are rapidly embracing artificial intelligence (AI), yet a significant number remain deeply concerned about its security implications, according to the 2025 Thales Data Threat Report. Drawing insights from over 3,100 IT and cybersecurity professionals across 20 countries and 15 industries, the report identifies the rapid evolution of AI, particularly generative AI (GenAI) as the most pressing security threat for nearly 70% of surveyed organisations.
Despite recognising AI as a major driver of innovation, many respondents expressed alarm over its risks to data integrity and trust.
Specifically, 64% highlighted concerns over AI's lack of integrity, while 57% flagged trustworthiness as a key issue. The reliance of GenAI tools on user-provided data for tasks such as training and inference further amplifies the risk of sensitive data exposure.
Even with these concerns, the pace of AI adoption continues to rise. The report found that one in three organisations is actively integrating GenAI into their operations, often before implementing sufficient security measures. Spending on GenAI tools has now become the second-highest priority for organisations, trailing only cloud security investments.
“The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution, as they race to stay ahead of the adoption curve,” said Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research.
“Many enterprises are deploying GenAI faster than they can fully understand their application architectures, compounded by the rapid spread of SaaS tools embedding GenAI capabilities, adding layers of complexity and risk.”
In response to these emerging risks, 73% of IT professionals reported allocating budgets either new or existing towards AI-specific security solutions. While enthusiasm for GenAI continues to surge, the Thales report serves as a warning that rushing ahead without securing systems could expose organisations to serious vulnerabilities.
