Data Readiness: The Real Barrier to AI Adoption

AI is everywhere, but the real story behind it isn’t just about algorithms and automation. It’s about the data that fuels it. Without clean, well-structured, and unified data, AI simply can’t deliver on its promises—and this is where many companies fall short.

, a global consultancy and , recently surveyed 150 senior business leaders for their , and found just that. While 57% of leaders are bullish on AI in their organizations, fewer than 9% feel their data is actually ready to support it.

To make the most of AI, it’s pivotal to understand why and how to get your data ready for it. As Huble CEO said, “Those who address their data challenges today will be the ones to realize AI’s full potential tomorrow.”

Going along with our recent , I want to share some of the top insights from Huble's report so business leaders can see the path for data readiness to accelerate AI adoption.

Why data readiness is AI’s hidden hero

Huble’s research reveals that the true barrier to AI success isn’t simply the technology itself—it’s the data it uses. But what could potentially be its downfall is also what can make it transformational.

• The AI illusion: It’s not exactly uncommon for today’s executives to push for AI-driven transformation. However, only 28.5% of businesses feel even moderately ready from a data perspective, and only 8.6% are fully ready. This gap between boardroom ambitions and frontline data realities is a major hurdle—one that, if not bridged, will only bring chaos.
• The hidden data crisis: In fact, 70% of businesses say their top priority isn’t deploying AI, but improving data quality. Poor , fragmented systems, and skills shortages are holding companies back from effective AI deployment. While AI is certainly capable from a technology perspective, if it’s built on a foundation of poor data, it will be less of a tool and more of a hindrance.
• The unification trap: While there's major emphasis today on unifying data by centralizing CRMs, ERPs, and other systems and platforms, Huble notes that centralization alone isn’t the answer. Its research found that nearly 50% of businesses with centralized systems still struggle with low-quality, inconsistent data, leading to “centralized chaos.”
• The business risk of poor data: Poor data isn’t just a tech issue—it’s a business problem. It can lead to slow AI adoption, flawed insights, and delayed ROI. No wonder 69% of organizations say bad data prevents them from making fast decisions with confidence.
• The path to AI readiness: Huble finds that true AI leaders focus on a foundation of and good governance before deploying AI initiatives. They standardize naming structures, clean data continuously, build scalable frameworks, and ensure cross-functional discipline to align teams across the organization—then they roll out AI in a strategic, incremental way over that stable foundation, paving the way for future success.

Why this matters now

Every industry is trying to accelerate their AI adoption, and data readiness is the smooth, stable runway for that. But since only 8.6% of businesses today have full data readiness to roll out AI, focusing on data readiness isn’t just a technical “nice-to-have”—it’s a competitive advantage.

Companies that prioritize data quality, governance, and structure are the ones that can accelerate their AI initiatives the fastest. That will let them capture the full potential of AI before their peers.

Huble: Setting Amplitude and HubSpot customers up for AI success

The connects our powerful analytics to HubSpot's best-in-class CRM, streamlining data flow across customer touchpoints and product signals to ensure all your teams get the customer insights they need to drive faster growth.

Huble takes this a step further by helping joint Amplitude and HubSpot customers bridge the divide between data chaos and AI success. As HubSpot’s #1 Global Solutions Partner, they set customers up for long-term AI success by focusing on the fundamentals: structured datasets, smart unification, clear frameworks, and real-time insights.

Together, the Amplitude HubSpot integration and Huble make sure your real-time user data is ready for your marketing, sales, and customer success efforts to capture the fullest potential of AI.