By Anthony Spiteri
As 2024 draws to a close, Veeam’s Asia Pacific Regional Chief Technology Officer Anthony Spiteri makes several tech predictions for 2025, suggesting the year will be one of realisation, regulations and resilience.
AI middleware companies to bridge the gap in AI adoption
In 2025, we will see more businesses engaging AI middleware companies to help faster adoption of secure, responsible and efficient AI solutions. Middleware simplifies the adoption process by allowing different systems to communicate seamlessly, reducing the need for in-house AI expertise. According to IDC, investments in AI and generative AI will continue to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 24% from 2023 to 2028. By leveraging third-party expertise, organisations reduce the risks associated with AI development and improve time to market.
Middleware also helps maintain ethical standards without the need for in-house AI specialists. This is significant, as the Australian government is imposing stricter regulations around the responsible and ethical use of AI through initiatives such as the recently announced AI guardrails. With the rise of AI middleware solutions, businesses will see a marked increase in the volume and complexity of data they need to handle. This surge will drive a greater need for robust data management practices, ensuring that critical AI datasets are well-protected and retained securely. As companies scale AI applications, the ability to efficiently manage and safeguard this expanding data pool will become essential to building a resilient AI strategy.
Repatriation of data from the public cloud to on-premise
A number of businesses are expected to move workloads from the public cloud back to on-premises data centres to manage costs and improve efficiencies. This is the essence of data freedom – the ability to move and store data wherever you need it, with no vendor lock-in.
Organisations that previously shifted to the public cloud now realise that a hybrid approach is more advantageous for achieving cloud economics. While the public cloud has its benefits, local infrastructure can offer superior control and performance in certain instances, such as for resource-intensive applications that need to remain closer to the edge. We can also now consume and operate on-premises infrastructure with the same tooling and level of automation previously restricted to the public cloud. Gartner says that many companies are re-evaluating their data strategies after seeing the full implications of shifting workloads, which has led to a renewed interest in hybrid and multi-cloud models. Factors such as market uncertainty, evolving licensing structures, and regulatory considerations will also influence this shift, as businesses seek data strategies that are adaptable while optimising access and data sovereignty. As a result, businesses are seeking more flexible and scalable solutions, such as multi-cloud or hybrid-cloud approaches.
However, any shift in data infrastructure poses risks, including data loss or corruption. With increasing concerns around moving data safely and with integrity, many businesses will turn to vendors, such as Veeam, who already have data resilience ingrained within its backup and recovery solutions.
An increasingly sophisticated AI-powered threat landscape
Bad actors will continue to look to profit from complex attacks on AI, specifically deepfakes and AI-powered phishing attacks. For instance, deepfakes are increasingly being used to impersonate executives or public figures, leading to fraud and misinformation while AI has been leveraged to craft convincing phishing emails that mimic personal language and tone. As these threats become more commonplace, businesses are expected to adopt more proactive cybersecurity strategies and advanced identity validation methods, such as voice authentication.
The uptake of AI-powered solutions to prevent and prepare for cyberattacks is also expected to increase. For example, VeeamONE Veeam Intelligence can help organisations proactively analyse backup data to identify anomalies and assess vulnerabilities, providing actionable insights that allow businesses to mitigate threats. AI-driven threat detection also alerts security teams of high-priority vulnerabilities in real time, enabling faster responses and efficient containment of any attacks. This shift underscores the view that data resilience needs to be championed at the executive level, with leaders prioritising robust data governance and protection frameworks that align with business resilience goals.
The rise of AI-focused leadership roles
Unsurprisingly, the continuous profileration of data into 2025 will see the introduction of new AI-focused roles. Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) are responsible for overseeing the ethical, responsible and effective use of AI across organisations and bridging the gap between technical teams and key stakeholders. Such talent is also responsible for the strategic use of such technologies to drive scale and impact. This evolution will mark the increasing integration of data resilience in the boardroom. CAIOs will work alongside Chief Data Officers and Data Privacy Officers, whose roles are expanding to include responsibilities around ensuring data integrity, recoverability, and alignment with AI initiatives. Together, companies can drive impact and innovation through AI while safeguarding critical data assets.
Preparing for the unknown: a year of realisation, regulations and resilience
2025 will be a year of realisation for many organisations as many are still underprepared to recover efficiently from cyber incidents. According a recent report, only 50 per cent of Australian business leaders were confident in their staff’s ability to tackle a cyber incident effectively. However, with the growing risk of AI-powered cyber threats and the push for stricter cyber regulations, such as the proposed Cyber Security Bill in Australia, more businesses will take a proactive approach towards resiliency. This will extend beyond basic cybersecurity training for employees to encompass proactive threat detection using AI-driven solutions, as well as a robust backup and data recovery strategy. End-to-end data resiliency solutions, such as those provided through the Veeam Cyber Secure Program, will play an instrumental role in helping businesses feel confident and prepared for any threat ahead.
