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<\/a>\nAcross industries, most enterprises have already crossed the first threshold by deploying AI. However, a clear gap is emerging between confidence in AI readiness and the ability to operationalize and govern it effectively. Far fewer have implemented the controls needed to govern it.<\/p>
\nAs AI agents begin making autonomous decisions on enterprise data at speed and scale, that gap is becoming a material risk. Research conducted by Emerald Research Group on behalf of Veeam shows organizations have moved faster on adoption than on the identity frameworks, data foundations, and governance needed to justify those decisions to a board, auditor, or regulator. The challenge is no longer whether AI is being used, but whether its actions can be understood, controlled, and validated.<\/p>
\nThe Data and AI Trust Maturity Model is designed to address this gap, helping organizations close the disconnect between perceived readiness and real-world execution. It provides leaders with an independent view of where they stand today and where to focus first, helping move from experimentation to accountable, production\u2011ready AI.<\/p>
\nThe model evaluates AI maturity across 12 dimensions and maps progress across five stages, from ad hoc to leading. It enables organizations to identify where controls exist, where they break down under real\u2011world conditions, and what must be prioritized to strengthen trust, governance, and resilience.<\/p>
\n\u201cAI confidence is high, but confidence alone does not scale,\u201d said Anand Eswaran, CEO at Veeam. \u201cOur research shows that while most organizations believe they are ready to scale AI safely and responsibly, many struggle to demonstrate that readiness in a board, audit, or regulatory context. The Data and AI Trust Maturity Model provides leaders with a clear, objective way to understand where they truly stand, identify execution gaps, and prioritize the capabilities required to operationalize AI trust, not just aspire to it. This is critical in an agentic world.\u201d<\/p>
\nResearch Highlights a Growing AI Trust Gap<\/b><\/p>
\nThe Data and AI Trust Maturity Model is informed by the opinions of 300 senior business and technology leaders, including C\u2011suite executives responsible for data, security, risk, and technology strategy. The research reveals a consistent gap between AI ambition, confidence, and operational readiness:<\/p>
- \n
- \nAI is no longer experimental<\/b>. Nearly seven in ten organizations report AI is embedded across multiple business functions or central to their operations, meaning AI systems and agents now touch sensitive production data, customer records, and decision-making workflows every day.<\/li>\n
- \nExecutive confidence is high<\/b>, with 80% of leaders saying they are confident in their ability to scale AI safely over the next two years.<\/li>\n
- \nConfidence often lacks evidence<\/b>, as nearly half of executives acknowledge that their confidence is driven more by intuition than by demonstrable, audit-ready proof they could readily provide to external stakeholders.<\/li>\n
- \nExecution challenges are emerging as AI scales<\/b>, with 52% of organizations reporting AI initiatives scaled back over the past 18 months, four in ten experiencing delays, and 28% discontinuing initiatives entirely.<\/li>\n
- \nBarriers to progress are operational rather than technological<\/b>, led by gaps in AI and machine learning skills (43%), difficulty integrating AI into existing workflows and systems (33%), regulatory uncertainty (25%), data quality limitations (20%), and explainability concerns (19%).<\/li>\n
- \nGovernance maturity lags deployment<\/b>, with nearly nine in ten organizations reporting formal AI governance policies exist in some form, but only about one in three saying they could produce comprehensive audit evidence immediately if required.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\nTogether, these findings show that while AI deployment is advancing rapidly, execution maturity is lagging, leaving organizations exposed as they scale AI into critical operations.<\/p>
\nFrom Deployment to Demonstrable Trust<\/b><\/p>
\nRather than focusing on adoption alone, the Data and AI Trust Maturity Model evaluates how consistently AI\u2011related controls, accountability, and operating practices function in real\u2011world conditions. It organizes trust readiness into four core value pillars:<\/p>
- \n
- \nUnderstood<\/b> \u2013 Visibility and context across data and AI assets, lineage, and risk.<\/li>\n
- \nSecured<\/b> \u2013 Identity and access governance, privacy, and data protection controls.<\/li>\n
- \nResilient<\/b> \u2013 Backup, recovery confidence, and operational continuity for critical data and AI\u2011dependent services.<\/li>\n
- \nUnleashed<\/b> \u2013 Trusted data readiness to support responsible AI development and adoption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n\u201cAI success hinges on the strength of the data foundation, but that\u2019s exactly where organizations are exposed,\u201d said Krista Case, Principal Analyst at theCUBE Research. \u201cWhile three-quarters of organizations are already running maturing or operational AI deployments, fewer than a third are backing up even half of their AI-generated data, according to our research. And that's translating directly into real risk. Attackers are going straight after the data layer through inference, corruption, poisoning, and exfiltration. Practitioners need structured, benchmarked insight that ties technical controls to real business and regulatory outcomes. Veeam\u2019s Data and AI Trust Maturity Model bridges this gap.\u201d<\/p>
\nBenchmarking Confidence Against Reality<\/b><\/p>
\nThe model is applied through the Data and AI Trust Maturity Assessment, a consultative engagement delivered by Veeam\u2019s data, security, and AI specialists and strategy leaders. The assessment produces:<\/p>
- \n
- \nA scored maturity profile across the model\u2019s 12 dimensions.<\/li>\n
- \nPeer benchmark comparison to establish fact-based urgency and context,<\/li>\n
- \nPrioritized recommendations and a pragmatic roadmap to strengthen trust over time.<\/li>\n
- \nExecutive-ready insights to support board oversight, audit conversations, and measurable progress tracking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\nAnnounced today at VeeamON 2026 New York City<\/a>, attendees can engage directly with Veeam experts and register<\/a> for a Data and AI Trust Maturity Assessment. The assessment will be available globally later this year. Partner\u2011led delivery will expand over time.<\/p>
\nRegister for VeeamON London<\/a> on June 3, 2026 (or attend virtually), and VeeamON Sydney<\/a> on July 30 (or attend virtually). For more information on Veeam, visit https:\/\/www.veeam.com<\/a>.<\/p>
\nFor more information, visit www.veeam.com<\/a>.<\/p>
\nAbout Veeam Software<\/b><\/p>
\nVeeam is the Data and AI Trust Company, specializing in helping organizations ensure their data and AI are fully understood, secured, and resilient, enabling the acceleration of safe AI at scale. As the market leader in both data resilience and data security posture management, Veeam is built for the convergence of identity, data, security, and AI risk.<\/p>
\nVeeam delivers deep contextual intelligence across every data asset, identity, and AI model. The company governs access for both humans and AI agents, automates privacy, compliance, and remediation processes, and protects and recovers organizations from modern threats \u2013 including ransomware, disasters, and AI errors \u2013 and ensures the restoration of clean, trusted data. Veeam empowers organizations to move beyond simply protecting data, enabling them to activate and unlock its full potential.<\/p>
\nHeadquartered in Seattle with offices in more than 30 countries, Veeam protects over 550,000 customers worldwide, including 82% of the Fortune 500, who trust Veeam to keep their businesses running. Learn more at www.veeam.com<\/a> or follow Veeam on LinkedIn @veeam-software<\/a> and X @veeam<\/a>.<\/p>
- \nSecured<\/b> \u2013 Identity and access governance, privacy, and data protection controls.<\/li>\n
- \nExecutive confidence is high<\/b>, with 80% of leaders saying they are confident in their ability to scale AI safely over the next two years.<\/li>\n