AI, cybersecurity drive IT investments and lead skill shortages for 2025

Skillsoft surveyed some 5,100 global IT decision-makers and professionals to learn more about the technologies they plan to invest in as well as the areas in which they are challenged to find skilled workers. In terms of investment priorities for 2025, the top technology areas global IT decision-makers plan to put budget dollars toward are:

• AI and ML: 47%
• Cybersecurity, information security: 42%
• Cloud computing: 36%
• Infrastructure and systems: 33%
• Leadership skills: 28%
• Data analytics, data management, data science: 25%
• Governance, risk and compliance: 25%
• Project management: 22%
• Virtualization: 18%
• Networking and wireless LAN: 18%

“While 2023 was a year of hurry up and unleash AI, 2024 is the year where decision-makers are taking a step back to see how they can implement AI strategically and thoughtfully to align with company and societal expectations,” the Skillsoft report states. “2024 gave leaders the opportunity to pause, take a breath and see what kind of investment they need to make for best use scenarios in terms of talent and technology.”

As new technologies emerge, IT decision-makers must also assess the skills they have in-house to make the most of the innovative tools. In this study, Skillsoft found that 19% of respondents believe there is a “high risk of organizational objectives not being met due to skills gaps.” According to Skillsoft, 65% of respondents said they continue to face skill gaps on their teams, with over half (56%) anticipating them to persist over the next one to two years.