F5 2025 Report reveals talk becomes action as AI gets to work

F5 Report highlights AI-driven transformation Amid operational complexity. 96% of surveyed IT decision-makers have deployed AI models, up from a quarter in  2023

 IT leaders are increasingly trusting AI with business critical tasks from traffic management to cost optimization, according to the industry’s  most comprehensive report on application strategy. F5’s 2025 State of Application Strategy Report, which surveys global IT decision  makers, found that 96% of organizations are now deploying AI models, up from a  quarter in 2023. 

There is also a growing willingness to elevate AI to the heart of business operations. Almost three-quarters of respondents (72%) said they want to use AI to optimize app  performance, whereas 59% support the use of AI for both cost-optimization and to  inject security rules, automatically mitigating zero-day vulnerabilities.

There is also a growing willingness to elevate AI to the heart of business operations. Almost three-quarters of respondents (72%) said they want to use AI to optimize app  performance, whereas 59% support the use of AI for both cost-optimization and to  inject security rules, automatically mitigating zero-day vulnerabilities. 

Today, half of organizations are using AI gateways to connect applications to AI tools,  and another 40% expect to be doing so in the next 12 months. Most are using this  technology to protect and manage AI models (62%), provide a central point of control  (55%), and to protect their company from sensitive data leaks (55%). 

“This year’s SOAS Report shows that IT decision makers are becoming confident about  embedding AI into ops,” said Lori MacVittie, F5 Distinguished Engineer. “We are fast  moving to a point where AI will be trusted to operate autonomously at the heart of an  organization, generating and deploying code that helps to cut costs, boost efficiency,  and mitigate security problems. That is what we mean when we talk about AIOps, and it  is now becoming a reality.”

Operational readiness and API challenges remain 

Despite growing AI confidence, the SOAS Report highlights several enduring challenges. For organizations currently deploying AI models, the number one concern is AI model  security.

And, while AI tools are more autonomous than ever, operational readiness gaps still  exist. 60% of organizations feel bogged down by manual workflows, and 54% claim skill  shortages are barriers to AI development. 

Furthermore, almost half (48%) identified the cost of building and operating AI  workloads as a problem, up from 42% last year.  

A greater proportion of organizations also said that they have not established a scalable  data practice (39% vs. 33% in 2024) and that they do not trust AI outputs due to  potential bias or hallucinations (34% vs. 27%). However, fewer complained about the  quality of their data (48%, down from 56% last year).  

APIs were another concern. 58% reported they have become a pain point, and some  organizations spend as much as half of their time managing complex configurations  involving numerous APIs and languages. Working with vendor APIs (31%), custom  scripting (29%), and integrating with ticketing and management systems (23%) were  flagged as the most time-consuming automation-related tasks. 

“Organizations need to focus on the simplification and standardization of operations,  including streamlining APIs, technologies, and tasks,” said MacVittie. “They should also  recognize that AI systems are themselves well-suited to handle complexity  autonomously by generating and deploying policies or solving workflow issues.  Operational simplicity is not just something on which AI is going to rely, but which it will  itself help to deliver.”

Hybrid app deployments prevail

Allied to soaring AI appetites is a greater reliance on hybrid cloud architectures.  

According to the SOAS Report, 94% of organizations are deploying applications across  multiple environments—including public clouds, private clouds, on-premises data  centers, edge computing, and colocation facilities—to meet varied scalability, cost,  and compliance requirements. 

Consequently, most decision makers see hybrid environments as critical to their  operational flexibility. 91% cited adaptability to fluctuating business needs as the top  benefit of adopting multiple clouds, followed by improved app resiliency (68%) and cost efficiencies (59%).  

A hybrid approach is also reflected in deployment strategies for AI workloads, with 51%  planning to use models across both cloud and on-premises environments for the  foreseeable future.

Significantly, 79% of organizations recently repatriated at least one application from the  public cloud back to an on-premises or colocation environment, citing cost control,  security concerns, and predictability. This marks a dramatic rise from 13% just four  years ago, further underscoring the importance of preserving flexibility beyond public  cloud reliance.

Still, the hybrid model can prove a headache for some. Inconsistent delivery policies  (reported by 53% of respondents) and fragmented security strategies (47%) are all top  of mind in this respect. 

“While spreading applications across different environments and cloud providers can  bring challenges, the benefits of being cloud-agnostic are too great to ignore. It has  never been clearer that the hybrid approach to app deployment is here to stay,” said  Cindy Borovick, Director of Market and Competitive Intelligence, F5.

APCJ AI adoption and challenges – key highlights: 

• AI Gateways on the Rise: Nearly half of APCJ organizations (49%) are already  using AI gateways to connect applications to AI tools, with another 46% planning  to do so in the next 12 months. 
• Top Use Cases for AI Gateways: Among those leveraging AI gateways, the most  common applications include protecting and managing AI models (66%),  preventing sensitive data leaks (61%), and observing AI traffic and application  demand (61%). 
• Data and Trust Challenges: Over half (53%) struggle with immature data  quality, and 45% are deterred by the high costs of building and running AI  workloads. 
• Hybrid Complexity: The hybrid model of AI deployment introduces hurdles, with  79% citing inconsistent security policies, 59% highlighting delivery  inconsistencies, and 16% dealing with operational difficulties. 

Toward a programmable, AI-driven future

Looking ahead, the SOAS Report suggests that organizations aiming to unlock AI’s full  potential should focus on creating programmable IT environments that standardize and  automate app delivery and security policies. 

By 2026, AI is expected to move from isolated tasks to orchestrating end-to-end  processes, marking a shift toward complete automation within IT operations  environments. Platforms equipped with natural language interfaces and programmable  capabilities will increasingly eliminate the need for traditional management consoles,  streamlining IT workflows with unprecedented precision. 

“Flexibility and automation are no longer optional—they are critical for navigating  complexity and driving transformation at scale,” Borovick emphasized. “Organizations  that establish programmable foundations will not only enhance AI’s potential but  create IT strategies capable of scaling, adapting, and delivering exceptional customer  experiences in the modern age.”

About F5

F5, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) is the global leader that delivers and secures every app.  Backed by three decades of expertise, F5 has built the industry’s premier platform—F5  Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP)—to deliver and secure every app,  every API, anywhere: on-premises, in the cloud, at the edge, and across hybrid  multicloud environments. F5 is committed to innovating and partnering with the world’s  largest and most advanced organizations to deliver fast, available, and secure digital  experiences. Together, we help each other thrive and bring a better digital world to life.