NetApp CEO George Kurian Outlines Six Keys to Thrive in the AI and Data Intelligence Era

NetApp CEO: Six Keys To Thrive In The Era Of AI, Data Intelligence

'Without data, the systems are useless. We see this much like what cloud was in the early eras, where cloud was a distinct silo, the on-premises world was a distinct silo, and you needed to bridge the two,' says NetApp CEO George Kurian. While businesses have been digitizing data and piecing together different data points for analysis, only recently have the tools to get value from that data become available, particularly with the advent of AI, said NetApp CEO George Kurian. Kurian, speaking Monday at a press conference prior to the kickoff of this week's NetApp Insight conference in Las Vegas, said the industry is now in what he called the third phase of the modern data revolution. "Now is the need to go wide in scope of the data, in addition to being long in trend, so that you can fully understand all of the data in your organization so that you can get the best results," he said. "So, for example, you want to unify the transactional data about your customer together with your most recent videoconference and your customer call center record all into one unified view of your customer. This need to unify all of your data continues to grow in importance." [Related: NetApp Leads AI Innovation With Tech Partners Like Nvidia, Cisco, Lenovo: CEO George Kurian] Kurian said that the use of AI requires businesses to rethink their data infrastructures with an eye toward unifying data regardless of where it is located. "If you look at the applications that clients are trying to drive, whether it's advanced analytics or AI applications of various types, the organizations that are further ahead are the ones that have unified their data, that have catalogued it well, that have a good understanding of security and controls for sensitive data, and that have a good handle on how the data changes over its life cycle," he said. "Interestingly, regulated industries, for example in life sciences, where the responsibility to have good, clean, high-quality data that's catalogued with the right clinical data codes or treatment codes, enables them to actually apply AI techniques a lot quicker than unregulated industries that really don't have unified data." To learn more about how AI and intelligent data storage have become so intertwined, and about what it might take to make data work in an AI world, here is what Kurian had to say about the past, present and future of data and intelligence.

Data management for AI: NetApp CEO George Kurian on driving business transformation - SiliconANGLE

NetApp CEO George Kurian on how data management is key to unlocking AI potential The business landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid convergence of data and artificial intelligence. In this era of data and intelligence, companies must prioritize effective data management for AI to remain competitive and relevant. AI is no longer a distant possibility but a reality that requires a strong data management for AI strategy to truly unlock its potential. Organizations that excel in leveraging data are already seeing significant progress, particularly in regulated industries. However, challenges remain, including the need for better infrastructure and integrated solutions to ensure that AI initiatives succeed. As more companies seek to adopt AI, the importance of simplifying data management and building strong partnerships has never been clearer, according to George Kurian (pictured), chief executive officer of NetApp Inc. "The algorithms are only as good as the data that you feed them, so it's super important that you have a really good data strategy and a data management approach that helps the algorithms understand your business better so that you can use [them] to drive business advantage," he said. Kurian spoke with theCUBE's Rob Strechay and Rebecca Knight at NetApp Insight, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media's livestreaming studio. They discussed data management for AI and how NetApp is helping organizations harness the power of data and AI by improving data management strategies, integrating infrastructures and addressing industry-specific challenges to drive business innovation. (* Disclosure below.) AI technologies have made significant advancements in recent years, but their success depends largely on the quality of the data they process. Despite the progress in AI tools and algorithms, effective deployment remains tied to strong data management for AI, Kurian emphasized. "Usually, in a large enterprise, about 85 to 90% of their data is unstructured, meaning documents, images and voice recordings, which were never integrated into business systems for analysis," he said. "Now, with generative AI, you are able to do that. So, we call it the intersection of data and intelligence, and we're super excited to be part of that journey." Many organizations struggle with AI implementation, often treating it as a siloed technology disconnected from broader data management and infrastructure processes. This separation creates challenges that hinder AI's full potential, according to Kurian. "AI has been implemented as a silo from an infrastructure, data and process perspective, which is why so many of the AI projects never make it to production," Kurian said. This is where NetApp's expertise in data management comes into play. It's critically important to bring AI and data infrastructures together to ensure they work harmoniously, much like the cloud, Kurian explained. By solving the data management challenge, NetApp aims to help businesses overcome these hurdles and scale their AI efforts successfully. Industries such as life sciences and pharmaceuticals are advancing rapidly with AI, particularly because of their need for structured data management in highly regulated environments. These sectors are well-positioned for AI success as a result of their strong data handling and privacy standards, according to Kurian. "We see that those institutions that have organized their data and managed it well are well-positioned for success," he stated. Industries operating in stringent regulatory environments are often better equipped to adopt AI because they have already established rigorous procedures for managing data and ensuring privacy. This strong foundation allows them to integrate AI more seamlessly into their operations, making them more prepared for advanced technological adoption, according to Kurian. "Regulated industries are actually growing faster with AI than unregulated ones," Kurian added, underscoring the importance of well-structured data in driving AI adoption. Kurian also highlighted use cases where AI is making a transformational impact, such as in manufacturing, life sciences and even the food and beverage industry. For instance, AI is being used to improve processes in auto manufacturing through digital twins and enhance beverage production quality. "In industries where the data is well-established, you're starting to see the transformative impact," he said. Despite the optimism around AI, Kurian acknowledged that some business leaders remain skeptical about its potential, citing concerns about its long-term impact. However, he believes that while initial expectations may be overly ambitious, the true impact of AI will unfold over the coming years. "Maybe people think that the transformation will happen in two years, but actually if you look out over the long term or the medium term over a decade, it's probably more impactful in the out years than people expect today," Kurian said. NetApp's focus on simplifying data management, fostering strong industry partnerships and addressing the unique challenges of different sectors positions it as a key player in helping organizations navigate the AI revolution. By streamlining access to data and offering tailored solutions, the company is enabling businesses to unlock the full potential of AI across diverse industries, Kurian explained. "We believe that for AI to have the transformative impact that people talk about today, it can't just be the largest organizations, but it has to be every organization, whether it's educational institutions -- whether it's governments, whether it's underdeveloped countries, all of them have to be able to access," he said. Stay tuned for the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE's and theCUBE Research's coverage of NetApp Insight.