Last Spring, we published our first State of Data Teams Report based on a survey of data leaders about priorities, investments, and blockers. We re-ran the survey in December to see what changed, and the shift was clear: attitudes toward AI moved fast.
Here’s what’s changed heading into 2026.
In this most recent survey, “AI and automation” jumped to a top goal for data teams. Last Spring, only 3 respondents mentioned AI as a goal for their team.
But it’s not just a goal — data teams are already putting hours into activating AI. In a list of focus areas, AI ranked second, with the number of respondants calling it an important area increasing by 24% compared to the last study.
But moving full speed ahead on AI doesn't mean the road is entirely smooth; the majority of respondents said that data trust is the #1 concern around AI adoption (which was cited nearly twice as much as any other concern). To address trust and accuracy, data teams reported investing in a variety of governance layers for AI to be more accurate. Semantic layers, once controversial, are seen as essential to this shift.
And despite concerns about AI replacing data work, the opposite is happening. 58% of respondents reported their data team grew, up from 52% in spring — a signal that AI is reshaping data work, not eliminating the need for it.
Let's get into the details.
575%
increase in data leaders citing “AI” as their #1 goal this year
31%
of data leaders cite “trust” as the top concern with adopting AI on their data
58%
of data teams are growing. Only 3% are reducing staff
01
AI is a top priority for data teams
02
Trust and data accuracy are the biggest concerns for AI
03
Leaders and practitioners want different AI tools
04
Data teams are still growing as AI adoption accelerates
05
What does this all mean for 2026?