2026 Global AI Report: A Playbook for Private and Sovereign AI

FAQ

What is NTT DATA’s global research?

All content in this playbook is based on independently sourced research data. Two phases of research were conducted in September and October 2025. Participants were prescreened and selected via random sampling on the basis that they had decision-making authority or influence on their organization’s AI and/or technology strategy. The research spans more than 30 markets in five regions, across more than a dozen industries, and is based on a combined sample of nearly 5,000 executives and senior leaders.

What is private and sovereign AI?

Private AI refers to systems built in controlled environments to safeguard sensitive data, models and operations. Sovereign AI emphasizes alignment with national or regional jurisdictions, ensuring infrastructure, data and governance remain under local control. While they often overlap, organizations may pursue one without the other. Nearly all enterprises are exploring these approaches; just one-third are achieving success.

Who should read this playbook?

This playbook benefits boards, CXOs, business and IT executives, AI practitioners, IT strategists, and anyone with influence over the future of enterprise operations. The insights derived from our global research reveal successful tactics for adopting private and sovereign AI.

Key findings

Recognition of the need for private and sovereign AI is nearly universal. However, the gap between what AI now requires and what existing infrastructure can deliver is widening.

• 95% of organizations say sovereign or private AI is important to their AI strategy.
• 35% of Chief AI Officers say enabling private and sovereign AI is their top barrier to adoption, often requiring significant changes to their existing infrastructure.
• Most AI leaders — nearly 60% — already cite cross-border data restrictions as a major challenge.
• Only one third (29%) of organizations are prioritizing sovereign AI in a concrete, near-term way.
• More than half of respondents (51%) list integration complexity in hybrid environments as a top challenge when running AI workloads in private environments.
• Only 38% of organizations feel highly confident in their cloud security posture — a critical foundation for private and sovereign AI.

AI leaders embed sovereignty as a core design principle. They modernize infrastructure alongside AI investment, integrate governance early, and reassess hyperscaler relationships to preserve flexibility and control. This approach is delivering stronger revenue growth and better margins.

AI has entered a new phase. Architecture now matters as much as algorithms. Sovereignty is no longer a constraint on innovation; it is becoming the foundation for trusted, scalable and resilient AI, and a defining factor in long-term business success.