The main obstacle to AI adoption involves the ability to secure and manage AI, according to the 2026 State of Tech Talent Report from the Linux Foundation, which highlights organizational concerns regarding AI preparedness along with upskilling and hiring trends.
Despite concerns, 97% of survey respondents plan to use AI, and 55% expect significant value in software development, the report says.
Specific findings include:
- 48% of organizations report security concerns as the top barrier to AI adoption, up from 17% in 2024.
- 40% say they are understaffed in cybersecurity and compliance.
- 57% say they are upskilling existing staff to close talent gaps rather than hiring new technical staff (49%).
Additionally, more than half of organizations (57%) report a gap in AI security and risk management skills. “Even as hiring increases, findings from the report highlight a persistent AI capability gap, affecting all levels of the technology stack, including AI security and risk management (57%), AI operations and monitoring (57%), cost optimization (54%), and AI infrastructure expertise (45%),” the report states.
Check out the full report from the Linux Foundation.
