New Study Reveals Tech Industry Leads AI Adoption in Support Operations at 92%; Regulated Industries Only at 58% Due to Compliance Constraints

Today, Deskpro, provider of the secure AI-powered help desk platform, released results from the State of AI in Support Operations: Balancing Innovation and Compliance report, which quantifies how security and compliance requirements are creating distinct market segments with vastly different AI adoption rates. According to the data, 92% of technology companies are adopting AI for support operations, while companies in regulated industries are significantly lagging behind with a 58% adoption rate. This 34-point gap reflects a significant disconnect: organizations are eager to adopt AI-powered support solutions, but face significant barriers related to data security, compliance and regulatory requirements, and deployment flexibility. While market demand for AI support capabilities exists across all sectors, constraints lie in how compliance mandates and data privacy concerns limit deployment options.

AI Adoption Rates Differ Greatly Between Tech and Regulated Industries with Security Emerging as Key Factor

According to the report, security has moved from a feature to a veto power in the technology procurement process. Eighty-one percent of organizations rate security as “critical” or “very important” when evaluating support technology, and 78% require IT or security team involvement in final technology purchasing decisions. This means IT and security leaders are controlling whether solutions get adopted, regardless of other platform capabilities. However, the timing of security validation differs dramatically by sector, explaining the wide AI adoption gap between industries:

• Technology companies demonstrate a more reactive security posture with 41% of respondents stating a security incident as a potential trigger for prioritizing AI security, and 45% citing industry regulations. This flexibility allows technology companies to move fast with AI adoption because they tend to validate security and address compliance after deployment.
• Regulated industries face strict compliance mandates (HIPAA, PCI DSS, FedRAMP) that require security and compliance validation before deployment. Security awareness is equally high: 64% in financial services and 61% in healthcare cite compliance requirements as important security drivers. Yet adoption lags significantly (86% in financial services, 39% in healthcare and 50% in government). This deployment gap reflects a difference in regulatory structure where compliance mandates require pre-deployment validation, not post-deployment remediation.

“The AI adoption gap isn’t a technology problem, it’s an architecture problem,” said Brad Murdoch, CEO of Deskpro. “Technology companies can adopt cloud-based AI because they're willing to move fast and validate security reactively. Financial services, healthcare, aerospace, and governments can’t do that. They need solutions that meet compliance requirements before deployment, not after. That architectural difference is precisely why current solutions are inadequate in regulated markets. The solutions winning in tech are structurally incompatible with regulated industries’ needs.”

Majority of Organizations to Increase Focus on AI Security as Part of Implementation Requirements

The market is currently in an active transition. Fifty-three percent of organizations report they are currently in the pilot, planning, or active evaluation phases of AI implementation in their support operations, and focusing on defining their requirements before committing to long-term vendor partnerships. Additionally, 74% of organizations expect their focus on AI security to increase significantly over the next two years, signaling accelerating demand for solutions that address both innovation and compliance requirements simultaneously.

“Organizations are asking themselves a fundamental question: do I have to choose between AI capabilities and data sovereignty? The answer should be no,” continued Brad Murdoch, CEO of Deskpro. “The market is demanding solutions that deliver production-grade AI while keeping data within their own infrastructure and giving them freedom to choose their own AI providers. That combination is what will define the next generation of enterprise software.”

Research Methodology

This analysis is based on a survey of 220+ professionals across IT, customer support, and HR functions conducted in 2025. Respondents represent organizations of varying sizes across technology, healthcare, financial services, government, and other sectors. The survey examined AI adoption patterns, security decision-making, compliance requirements, and organizational constraints.

Read the Full Report

Download the full State of AI in Support Operations: Balancing Innovation and Compliance surveyreport to explore adoption patterns by industry and organization type, specific compliance barriers by sector, deployment model preferences, and strategic recommendations for navigating the evolving AI-enabled help desk market.

Resources

• Deskpro website
• LinkedIn

About Deskpro

Deskpro is the developer of AI-driven help desk software that empowers organizations worldwide to deliver exceptional customer and employee experiences that translate directly into tangible ROI, through improved customer and agent retention. Deskpro is the only help desk platform with enterprise-grade security, compliance, and data privacy, enabling all organizations to adopt and deploy AI, even in the most regulated industries and sovereign environments. Deskpro is available as a cloud service, and can also be deployed in VPCs, on-premise, private clouds, and sovereign clouds. Trusted by leading enterprises worldwide in banking, technology, financial services, healthcare systems, aerospace and defense, as well as government agencies, Deskpro is led by experts in enterprise software, customer experience, and customer support. Learn more at Deskpro.com.

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