According to Gartner, Inc. the following six trends will shape the future of cloud over the next four years, ultimately resulting in new ways of working that are digital in nature and transformative in impact:

Trend 1: Cloud Dissatisfaction

Cloud adoption continues to grow, but not all implementations succeed. Gartner predicts 25% of organizations will have experienced significant dissatisfaction with their cloud adoption by 2028, due to unrealistic expectations, suboptimal implementation and/or uncontrolled costs.

To remain competitive, enterprises need a clear cloud strategy and effective execution. Gartner research indicates that those that have successfully addressed upfront strategic focus by 2029 will find their cloud dissatisfaction will decrease.

Trend 2: AI/ML Demand Increases

Demand for AI/ML is set to surge, with hyperscalers positioned at the core of this growth. They will drive a shift in how compute resources are allocated by embedding foundational capabilities into their IT infrastructure, facilitating partnerships with vendors and users, and leveraging real and synthetic data to train AI models. Gartner predicts 50% of cloud compute resources will be devoted to AI workloads by 2029, up from less than 10% today.

"This all points to a fivefold increase in AI-related cloud workloads by 2029," said Joe Rogus, Director, Advisory at Gartner. "Now is the time for organizations to assess whether their data centers and cloud strategies are ready to handle this surge in AI & ML demand. In many cases, they might need to bring AI to where the data is to support this growth."

Trend 3: Multicloud and Cross Cloud

Many organizations that have adopted multicloud architecture find connecting to and between providers a challenge. This lack of interoperability between environments can slow cloud adoption, with Gartner predicting more than 50% of organizations will not get the expected results from their multicloud implementations by 2029.

Gartner recommends identifying specific use cases and planning for distributed apps and data in the organization that could benefit from a cross-cloud deployment model. This enables workloads to operate collaboratively across different cloud platforms, as well as different on-premises and colocation facilities.

Trend 4: Industry Solutions

There is an upward trend toward industry-specific cloud platforms, with more vendors offering solutions that address vertical business outcomes and help scale digital initiatives. Over 50% of organizations will use industry cloud platforms to accelerate their business initiatives by 2029, according to Gartner.

Gartner recommends organizations approach industry cloud platforms as a strategic way to add new capabilities to their broader IT portfolio, rather than a total replacement. This allows organizations to avoid technical debt, drive innovation and business value.

Trend 5: Digital Sovereignty

AI adoption, tightening privacy regulations and geopolitical tensions are driving demand for sovereign cloud services. Organizations will be increasingly required to protect data, infrastructure and critical workloads from control by external jurisdictions and foreign government access. Gartner predicts over 50% of multinational organizations will have digital sovereign strategies by 2029, up from less than 10% today.

"As organizations proactively align their cloud strategies to address digital sovereignty requirements, there are already a wide range of offerings that will support them," said Rogus. "However, it's important they understand exactly what their requirements are, so they can select the right mix of solutions to safeguard their data and operational integrity."

Trend 6: Sustainability

Cloud providers and users are increasingly sharing responsibility for sustainable IT infrastructure. This is being driven by regulators, investors and public demand for greater alignment between technology investments and environmental goals. As AI workloads demand more energy, organizations are also under pressure to better understand, measure and manage the sustainability implications of emerging cloud technologies.

Gartner research shows the percentage of global organizations prioritizing sustainability as part of procurement will rise to over 50% by 2029. To deliver greater value from cloud investments, organizations must look beyond environmental impact alone and align their sustainability strategies with key business outcomes.