One idea will dominate 2025 — ensuring your AI operates successfully in a world increasingly shaped by regional and industry compliance rules while recognizing that your data and AI are truly sovereign assets.

Sovereign AI and data platforms built for seamless observability, governance, and integration across hybrid environments will be the foundation for enterprise leadership in 2025. As organizations increasingly rely on AI to drive innovation, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences, their ability to manage and control data securely and compliantly — anywhere, anytime — will become the ultimate differentiator.

To explore how these shifts will shape the year ahead and uncover the interconnected themes that could either enable or hinder success, I spoke with EDB’s leadership team whose insights are grounded in daily interactions with leading enterprises across industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology. These organizations, navigating complex AI and data challenges, provide valuable feedback that highlights emerging trends.

Based on these insights, here are five key predictions for the future of data and AI sovereignty in 2025 — from unlocking AI ROI through improved governance to the competitive advantage of upskilling the workforce with AI literacy.

1. Observability and governance will be the key to unlocking AI ROI

AI and data are the engines of modern business success, yet their potential is often stifled by governance, compliance, and observability challenges. Gartner forecasts that by 2027, 60% of organizations will fall short of their AI goals due to fragmented ethical governance frameworks.

“Data and AI are the backbone for future business success. However, much like a racecar held back by constantly engaged brakes, their full potential is often stunted by challenges related to governance, compliance, security, and observability across data estates — or the ‘data fleet.’ Adopting a sovereign data and AI platform approach can effectively release these brakes.

“Organizations that prioritize the observability of their data estates while integrating AI see over 20% greater ROI compared to those deploying AI without ensuring full compliance, according to EDB research (2024). In 2025, success will hinge on fleet-wide observability enabled by a unified ‘single pane of glass’ view, empowering organizations to improve the health and performance of their data, and ultimately, unlock the full potential of AI-infused data strategies,” says Hervé Timsit, Chief Revenue Officer, EDB.

2. Hybrid architectures will redefine data sovereignty

EDB’s 2024 research shows that 67% of enterprises across the U.S., UK, and Germany are transitioning their mission-critical workloads to hybrid models. These architectures provide the agility to meet innovation demands while maintaining the control required to comply with global regulatory standards.

“From vast data lakes and sprawling data fleets to the early promise of generative AI and the ongoing challenges of compliance, the future is becoming clearer. AI thrives on constantly evolving, living data systems, and to unlock their full potential, enterprises need sovereign control — control that works anywhere, anytime, and in any environment.

“Sovereignty delivered through hybrid systems, unified ‘single pane of glass’ observability, and robust compliance will be the only viable path forward. As enterprises grapple with growing data complexity, compliance requirements, and the need for secure AI pipelines, hybrid architectures will offer a practical solution,” says Jozef de Vries, Chief Product Engineering Officer, EDB.

3. High-quality data is the secret ingredient for AI success 

Sometimes, it’s just one extra — or unique — ingredient that makes all the difference. Think of a favorite family recipe — that one special, guarded ingredient is what sets it apart. As businesses scale their adoption of AI, they will come to recognize that their outcomes are only as strong as the quality of their data. Data becomes the secret, coveted ingredient that sets leaders apart.

“To stay ahead, organizations need to craft their own unique AI and data platform — secure, compliant, and designed to drive measurable value. Every successful customer we engage with — spanning industries like finance, banking, insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications — embraces this platform approach, treating data as a sovereign asset. Notably, organizations leveraging PostgreSQL in hybrid configurations are setting the pace, showing how a well-crafted, sovereign platform built on high-quality data can unlock AI’s full potential while maintaining compliance and scalability,” says Mary-Beth Donovan, Chief Customer Officer, EDB.

4. Ethics and compliance: The magic triangle

According to a recent Omdia survey, regulatory and compliance challenges have become significant barriers for 35% of enterprises — up from just 11% in 2023.

“As AI and data increasingly converge, organizations are discovering the transformative power of personalization to drive profitability, enhance customer satisfaction, and reduce costs. This creates a ‘magic triangle’ of innovation, cost reduction, and revenue growth. However, this potential will be stifled if organizations fail to establish clear standards for AI — addressing ethics, compliance, processes, IP ownership, and more.

“In 2025, successful enterprises, particularly those operating within open-source frameworks, will recognize the importance of staying ahead of the curve. By prioritizing robust ethical and compliance strategies, they’ll unlock the full promise of AI and data-driven innovation,” says Rob Feldman, Chief Legal Officer, EDB.

5. Upskilling will define AI competitive advantage

“The rise of AI is reshaping the workforce, creating urgent demands for both upskilling and reskilling.  AI prompters, a job title barely two years old, already command salaries of up to $335,000 — six times the national average. Over the next 1,000 days, 120 million Americans are expected to undergo intensive AI training, signaling the scale of change ahead.

“Enterprises embracing sovereign AI and data platforms must focus on both upskilling — enhancing their teams’ current capabilities — and reskilling, equipping employees with entirely new competencies to meet the demands of an AI-driven world. In 2025, organizations that prioritize data sovereignty alongside workforce development will secure a lasting competitive advantage,” says Einav Lavi, Chief Human Resources Officer, EDB. 

2025 and beyond

Data and AI sovereignty will be the defining strategy for enterprises in 2025. Companies that invest in sovereign platforms, adopt robust ethical frameworks, and upskill their workforce will not only successfully navigate the challenges of compliance and complexity but also position themselves as industry leaders.

These efforts will separate the innovators from the laggards, laying a foundation for sustainable growth and long-term success in an AI-driven world. Sovereignty isn’t just a strategy — it’s the key to unlocking the full potential of data and AI.

About the Author:

Michael Gale is Chief Marketing Officer for EDB, the leading Postgres data and AI company. Michael is the Wall Street Journal best-selling author of the number one selling book on Digital Transformation, The Digital Helix, and hosts the Futures in Focus podcast about the world of ten years from now, (on Forbes for four years). He is a Thinkers360 top 10 influencer for AI, and on sustainability technologies.

Prior to EDB, Gale was at Wind River as the CMO and led the company’s complete rebranding as it went from being an embedded software company to a leading intelligent systems company, which led to the company being sold to Aptiv for over $3bn. His team won the platinum dot.com marketing award for the intelligent systems campaign in 2022. He has founded and sold two marketing SaaS companies (Strategic Oxygen, PulsePoint) that were used to plan complex integrated marketing programs in the technology industry. He was a group Partner at Monitor Group (now part of Deloitte) and was the CWO at Micron when it became a top three internet e-commerce company. Michael holds a degree in economics and history from the UK.