Data teams are under more pressure than ever before, with demands skyrocketing and technology outpacing teams’ ability to adapt. Understanding how your team stacks up against these challenges is crucial—it could mean the difference between leading the charge and falling behind.

Over the past five years, Ascend.io has conducted the industry-wide Pulse Survey to capture the current state of data teams. This year’s findings provide a fresh perspective on the limitations and opportunities shaping the future of data engineering. In this post, we’ll explore three major findings from the 2025 results, offering actionable insights to help your team refine its approach and maintain a competitive edge.

For those seeking a deeper analysis, the full 2025 Pulse Survey Report is available for download.

Download Now: 2025 DataAware Pulse Survey Report 

Finding 1: Data Teams Are Reaching Their Breaking Point

Data teams continue to operate under immense pressure, with many struggling to keep up with the demands placed on them. With organizations pushing teams to deliver AI-ready data, the workload is only increasing. 

  • Productivity Gains: Thanks to new tools and technology like AI, 83% of those surveyed said their productivity has increased in the past 12 months, higher than the last five years. 

  • Persistent Capacity Strain: Despite the boost in productivity, over 95% of data practitioners report being at or beyond their capacity limits; 24% indicate they are significantly overburdened.

  • Hiring Isn’t Keeping Pace: 69% of respondents feel their team’s head count is growing slower than the need for data in their organization.

“This year’s findings highlight a critical juncture for data teams,” says Ascend CEO, Sean Knapp. “While productivity is at an all-time high, the surging demand for data is vastly outpacing the growth and capacity of these teams.”

If your team is overwhelmed, you aren’t alone. But, there’s good news. The survey also uncovered the top solutions teams are considering to meet the demands of the day. 

Finding 2: Automation Accelerates Data Team Productivity

With more teams under strain, there is an urgent need for solutions to boost productivity, enabling teams to deliver their data faster, safely, and at scale. Increasing productivity is the #1 goal for data teams in 2025 and automation is the means by which they are working to achieve it. 

  • Productivity is a Hot Commodity: Nearly half of respondents cite improving team productivity as among their top 3 priorities, 11% higher than any other category.
  • Increased Automation Adoption: To boost productivity, 85% of those surveyed said they are likely or very likely to implement data automation technologies in the next 12 months.
  • Closing the Implementation Gap: While enthusiasm for automation is high, only 5% of teams report having leveraged these tools.

Teams often wrestle with the trade-offs of dedicating time and resources to automation projects as the demand for timely, AI-ready data from their organizations reaches unprecedented levels. This surge in demand is driven by the need for faster, more reliable insights and the transformative potential of AI across industries.

Despite these challenges, the findings are clear: data automation boosts team productivity by an astounding 700%. For leaders and practitioners alike, prioritizing automation efforts can unlock tremendous capacity, allowing teams to focus on high-value, strategic work while meeting the growing expectations of their organizations.

Learn More: Boost Data Engineering Productivity by 700% with Data Automation 

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Finding 3: The State of AI Adoption in Data Teams — Opportunities and Challenges

AI adoption has become a defining trend in the data landscape, with organizations racing to integrate and deploy AI-driven tools. However, not everyone is keeping pace:

  • Broad Adoption Rates: 89% of respondents report using generative AI in some capacity, with adoption rates reaching 47% for test automation, 44% for code generation, and 40% for documentation.

  • Lagging Segments: nearly 1/3 of individual contributors report they are not using AI in the workflows. And nearly 20% startup teams report
no plans to use GenAI in the next 12 months.

While the momentum is strong, there remains a significant opportunity for those lagging behind to catch up. Leaders should focus on providing accessible training and tools that empower all team members—from practitioners to decision-makers—to fully leverage AI’s potential. Bridging the gap in adoption could unlock transformative benefits for smaller teams and individual contributors.

Get Exclusive Access to the Full Report

The full report dives deep into these insights and more, answering key questions that data teams are asking: What’s the leading cause of productivity slowdowns? How are teams tackling data quality issues? And—is data mesh dead? Don’t miss out—download the 2025 Pulse Survey Report now and set your team up for success in the year ahead.

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