Informatica from Salesforce, a leader in AI-powered cloud data management, has published a new global study revealing that while Australian organisations are rapidly accelerating their use of AI, many lack the data skills, governance frameworks and infrastructure needed to support responsible and scalable AI.  

The study, which surveyed 600 global data leaders across the U.S., UK/EU and APAC (including Australia), found 62% of Australian organisations have already adopted GenAI into their business practices. However, this rapid integration is outpacing the essential foundational capabilities required for responsible and effective AI use. 

 The study revealed several key challenges facing Australian data leaders:    

• Data reliability remains a major barrier despite high internal trust:
  Ninety-two percent of Australian respondents say data reliability is a barrier to their organisation’s ability to move more GenAI initiatives from pilot to production, while 47% cite data quality and reliability as a key challenge in deploying AI agents into production. Despite this, 75% of Australian data leaders believe that most or nearly all employees trust the data being used for AI. 
• Workforce upskilling urgently needed: Significant skills gaps persist, with 77% of Australian respondents concerned about the need for better data literacy training and 75% saying employees require more AI literacy training to use the technology responsibly in day-to-day operations.  
• AI governance remains inconsistent: Australian organisations are taking varied approaches to AI governance. Fifty-one percent are extending existing data-governance tools to cover AI, 30% are investing in discrete AI governance tools, and 19% report they have started governance efforts from scratch – highlighting uneven readiness as AI adoption accelerates.  
• Infrastructure modernisation lags behind AI ambition: Despite the importance of modern data platforms, only 8% of Australian respondents identified modernising data security and infrastructure as a top near-term priority, suggesting foundational systems may not be keeping pace with AI adoption.  

Despite these significant challenges, nearly all Australian data leaders (98%) plan to increase their data management investment in 2026. The top drivers for this spending include improving data literacy and AI fluency, strengthening privacy and security measures, enhancing data and AI governance, and meeting changing regulatory requirements. This intent reflects a proactive approach to addressing current gaps and supporting responsible, scalable AI adoption. 

Amanda Fitzsimmons, Senior Director of Customer Data at RS Group, commented: “This report highlights the significant risks of accelerating AI adoption without strong data governance and literacy. At RS Group, we address this challenge by embedding governance and accountability into how we evaluate and scale AI initiatives. 

For all AI initiatives, we thoroughly evaluate the technological, security, legal, and strategic implications to maximise opportunities while minimising risks. This approach helps ensure innovation moves forward responsibly, with risks understood and value clearly defined from the outset. 

Through investments in robust data-driven solutions, comprehensive upskilling, and close collaboration with partners like Informatica, we believe we are taking the essential steps to foster trusted, responsible AI that delivers real, measurable value to our customers and employees.” 

“Australia has set clear ambitions for how it wants to use AI to drive growth, productivity and competitiveness, but our latest study points to clear trust paradox,” said Alex Newman, Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Informatica. “As organisations rely more heavily on AI, trust in its outputs is rising faster than the data foundations, governance and skills needed to support that reliance.” 

“With the National AI Plan underscoring the importance of capturing AI’s benefits while keeping people and organisations safe, closing that trust gap is critical. Reliable data, strong governance and a workforce that understands how to use AI responsibly will ultimately determine whether AI delivers long-term value or introduces new risk.” 

 The “Informatica CDO Insights 2026″ report also highlights the global differences, data management priorities and vendor approaches, as well as key AI-powered use cases organisations are prioritising. To view the full report, please visit here.