Key Takeaways from the text:
Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways from the provided text, focusing on AI and cybersecurity trends in the Middle East:
1. AI & Cybersecurity are paramount:
* Dominant Forces: AI and cybersecurity are the “biggest issues influencing strategy and spending” in the Middle East. They are not isolated trends but are deeply interconnected with all other technology uses.
* Next Year’s Focus: These two areas will continue to be crucial in the coming year.
2. AI is Becoming Foundational:
* Shift in Role: AI is transitioning from a supplemental tool to a core business function – a foundational “enterprise layer.”
* production-Ready Implementations: Organizations are moving beyond testing and into large-scale, real-world AI deployments.
* Behind-the-Scenes Focus: The initial focus is on integrating “agentic AI” into existing business processes (government,finance,energy) rather than consumer-facing applications.
* Industry-Wide Adoption: This shift is happening across all industries, including government, finance, and energy.
3. AI & IoT Convergence:
* Bridging Digital & Physical: AI is increasingly working with the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and edge computing to connect the digital and physical worlds.
* IoT as a Bridge: IoT provides AI with the “sensors and actuators” needed to interact with and understand the physical environment in real-time.
* Significant Adoption: 34% of organizations are already using AI/ML in their IoT deployments, and 44% plan to in the future.
* Key Industries: This convergence is expected to impact energy, utilities, transport, and smart cities.
4. Infrastructure Investment:
* AI-Ready Datacentres: Datacentres designed for AI workloads are becoming “critical infrastructure” due to the growing demand for AI computing power.
* Competition among Providers: Hyperscalers,telecoms,and “neocloud” providers are expanding capacity,leading to increased competition.
* Sustainability Concerns: the expansion of datacentres raises concerns about power consumption, water usage, and overall sustainability.
5. Cybersecurity Evolution:
* Increased Threat Landscape: Attackers are already using AI to improve ransomware and phishing attacks.
* Need for Adaptive Resilience: Cybersecurity is shifting from a “static defense” to a more “adaptive resilience” approach.
* High Stakes: The stakes are higher than ever, especially for organizations operating critical infrastructure.
Source: Trevor Clarke, Chief Analyst at Omdia, is the primary source of data throughout the text.
