Networks Struggle to Keep Pace with AI Adoption

Cisco's recent study on AI adoption highlights the urgent need for organisations to address infrastructure challenges. The research, conducted by Cisco and Foundry Research, surveyed over 3,400 senior IT and networking decision-makers across 15 countries.

The findings show that 73% of organisations are experiencing or expect to experience campus and branch network capacity constraints within the next two years. This is largely driven by the increasing demand for AI technologies such as agentic AI, generative AI, and physical AI, which include robotics and IoT technologies.

Cisco president Jeetu Patel describes this period as a 'networking supercycle', reflecting the central role of the network in supporting AI infrastructure. The study also found that 90% of respondents fear financial and competitive risks if their campus and branch networks are not adapted to meet AI-driven demand.