As AI agents become central to enterprise operations, a new Salesforce State of Data and Analytics Report (2025) reveals a widening gap between data ambition and data reality. Despite 63% of business leaders describing their organizations as very data-driven—a 10% increase from 2023—only half feel confident in their ability to deliver timely and accurate insights. The study, based on over 7,600 business and data leaders worldwide. It highlights a critical truth: AI is only as effective as the data that powers it.
According to Salesforce, 84% of data and analytics leaders agree that AI outputs are only as good as their inputs. Yet 70% believe their most valuable insights remain trapped in unstructured data, and 63% of technical leaders admit their companies struggle to align data strategy with business priorities. This “data confidence gap” is emerging as one of the biggest barriers to realizing the potential of agentic AI — systems that act autonomously across workflows to drive business outcomes.
Key findings from the report include:
- AI-driven transformation: 93% of companies now use AI in their workflows. Also, 84% of CIOs see AI as significant as the internet.
- Unstructured data challenge: Up to 90% of enterprise data is unstructured and underutilized.
- Low governance readiness: Only 43% of organizations have formal data governance frameworks, while 88% say AI requires new governance models.
Business leaders overwhelmingly agree that trustworthy, contextual data is the foundation of AI success. However, with nearly one in five datasets deemed inaccessible or unreliable, organizations face mounting pressure to modernize their data architecture, governance, and literacy. Salesforce concludes that companies must democratize access to clean, real-time data. Or even risk building AI systems that amplify, rather than solve, inefficiencies.
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