Enterprise Use of AI and Machine Learning Grows by 600%

David Ramos,
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AI and machine learning transactions have increased by almost 600% in the last year, according to Zscaler data. The manufacturing industry is responsible for 20% of them.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are experiencing a golden age in recent years. An increasing number of companies are using tools that incorporate these technologies, boosting the volume of transactions and data sent to these types of solutions.

According to the ‘AI Security Report 2024’ by Zscaler ThreatLabz, based on analysis of more than 18 billion AI transactions through the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange cloud security platform, AI/ML transactions have grown by 595% from April 2023 to January 2024, surpassing 3 billion transactions per month on the platform in January.

“In the age of AI, data is the fuel that drives progress and the treasure trove that holds endless possibilities,” says Deepen Desai, Chief Security Officer at Zscaler.

The study finds that the manufacturing industry is a leader in AI transactions, with more than 20% of the total transaction volume on the Zero Trust Exchange platform.

Zscaler specifies that this technology is already critical for manufacturers, in applications such as analysing large amounts of machine and sensor data to proactively detect equipment failures or optimising supply chain management, inventory and logistics operations.

Other leading sectors of activity in the use of AI are finance and insurance (20%), services (17%), technology (15%) and retail/wholesale (5%).

In terms of the most used applications, there is a clear winner: ChatGPT. The Zscaler study reveals that Open AI’s generative AI platform accounts for more than half of all enterprise AI transactions (52%). In addition, OpenAI’s own application ranks third (8%).

Also ranking highly is Drift, the popular AI-powered chatbot, which has generated almost a fifth of all enterprise AI traffic. In addition, LivePerson and BoldChat have made the list. And Writer is the favourite Gen AI tool for creating written business content.

The analysis also finds that the US leads the way in enterprise AI usage, with 40% of transactions, ahead of India (16%).

The UK leads EMEA in enterprise AI traffic, with more than 20%, although it accounts for just 5.5% of global transactions. Second and third place in this area are France (13%) and Germany (12%), respectively, while Spain is in sixth place (5.3%). In addition, Zscaler highlights the strength of the United Arab Emirates in the adoption of this technology.