Research finds 38% of tech leaders doubt their database can handle future AI workloads, yet most wait for a crisis before migrating.

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Research commissioned by ScyllaDB and conducted by Futurum Group reveals that 38% of tech leaders doubt their current cloud database can handle future AI/ML workloads, yet most organizations remain in a 'good enough for now' mindset and only act when forced by crisis events like production incidents or leadership changes. Key findings include: a 10% cost reduction is enough to trigger migration consideration, leadership changes (36%) and major production incidents (32%) are the top migration catalysts, and cost unpredictability drives 28% of switching decisions. The post outlines early warning signs of database strain — rising tail latency, cost growing faster than throughput, increasing operational friction — and recommends proactive steps like stress testing, setting decision triggers, and mapping database capabilities against a 12–24 month roadmap.

Why “good enough” cloud databases are becoming a business risk