It’s no secret that global enterprises often rely on outsourced expertise from cloud managed service providers (MSPs) to navigate cloud infrastructure, maintain optimal performance, and manage costs effectively.
However, as AI continues to advance and revolutionize how businesses operate, many are left wondering: Will it replace human cloud advisors and engineers?
This article discusses the future of cloud as AI increasingly inhabits the world’s communication, technology, and personal devices. It also poses a better, more relevant question: how can AI empower cloud engineers and connectivity teams to achieve greater outcomes?
Explore the evolving dynamic between AI and cloud advisors—and discuss why both are essential to what comes next below.
AI as a partner, not a replacement for enterprise cloud
AI significantly expands the resources of cloud experts, ultimately enabling companies to revolutionize their business outcomes through operational efficiencies.
But it can’t replace cloud advisors and managed services. Instead, it will further evolve into a prominent and impactful partner for IT teams and their managed service providers.
How AI helps cloud engineers and connectivity teams
Let’s examine the standout benefits AI offers enterprise cloud engineers and connectivity teams.
1. Automating repetitive tasks
This powerful technology takes care of tedious, time-consuming tasks like:
- Network monitoring
- Routine reporting
- Cost optimization alerting
- Compliance auditing
- Scaling resources to meet demands
- Patch management
By handling these activities, AI reduces the burden on cloud advisors. As a result, it affords engineers and architects extra time for more critical and creative tasks.
2. Enhancing data analysis and insights
Collecting and processing massive datasets across siloes in mere seconds is where AI truly shines. It can identify key trends, anomalies, or hidden relationships that humans might miss. It can generate instant reports and audits, forecast future resource needs with predictive analytics, and continuously optimize data analysis processes.
By leveraging these abilities, cloud advisors gain more holistic and accurate insights for decision-making. Enterprise cloud management teams enhance security, optimize network management, and refine cost planning and allocation. These effects enable faster innovation cycles, greater agility, and improved alignment between IT strategy and overall business objectives.
3. Streamlining resource allocation
AI optimizes large-scale approaches to capacity planning and resource provisioning by providing deeper insights into cloud infrastructure and ongoing business needs. It dynamically adapts to shifting needs by scaling IT resources to meet real-time demand. It also automates performance monitoring, workload prioritization, and proactive system tuning.
Streamlining resource allocation prevents over-provisioning and underutilization, which increases ROI and helps teams cut costs without compromising quality. Other benefits include optimized performance, more consistent delivery, and increased agility.
The critical role of human advisors in cloud security and governance
The Thales 2024 Cloud Security Study revealed that cloud security is a top priority for organizations and that addressing it is the highest priority for security spending.
AI cannot successfully secure or govern the cloud independently, especially for enterprises with extensive cloud-based services to protect.
Identifying and responding to sophisticated threats requires human intervention and expertise. Maintaining cloud security is not possible without reasoning capabilities, threat intelligence, and innovative solutions. Cloud governance also demands strategically implemented compliance frameworks and a thorough grasp of each location’s unique needs and risks.
Because AI is incapable of understanding the meaning behind datasets and is unable to think critically, it can’t take the reins from cloud consulting professionals. Humans remain vital to protecting cloud resources, especially for multi-location businesses operating across diverse regulatory environments.
The future of cloud computing and AI
The same is true for driving growth, optimizing technology lifecycles, and unlocking new opportunities within an increasingly cloud-driven world.
AI’s insights help leaders and IT teams develop innovative and practical solutions tailored to enterprise needs. But only humans possess the capacity to creatively solve problems, strategically plan, and understand the unique goals of an enterprise.
By supplanting those essential human qualities with AI’s advantages, advisors can develop more innovative, aligned, and effective enterprise cloud solutions.
Here are a few examples of ways cloud engineers and architects harness AI to elevate cloud computing approaches and improve business outcomes:
- Automating security testing
- Simulating infrastructure changes
- Optimizing configurations
- Improving DevOps workflows
- Strengthening disaster recovery plans
- Enforcing access control protocols
Leave the optimizations and workflow improvements to the robots. The true impact of AI lies in enabling experienced professionals to focus on problem-solving, innovation, and creativity.
Will cloud engineers and architect roles exist with AI?
Absolutely. AI is a valuable tool that enhances cloud advisor capacities, rather than a separate entity that can “overtake” the practice or replace roles.
The collaboration between AI and enterprise IT teams is a symbiotic one, elevating each other’s capabilities. With this technology’s support, cloud engineers and architects are free to focus on high-value activities and achieve more impactful results.
Conclusion: Embrace the collaboration of AI and human experts
Despite AI’s transformative abilities, this technology isn’t a replacement for people.
Cloud managed service providers and advisors continue to play a crucial role in security management, compliance, and strategic planning. These experts are especially vital for multi-location enterprises with complex cloud environments.
AI automates and optimizes, while humans strategize and innovate. This perfect pairing isn’t just powerful—it’s essential for sustaining success throughout what lies ahead.
Advantage Communications Group leverages this dynamic duo, delivering both the latest technologies and expert human guidance to global enterprises. We’re here to optimize your cloud strategy with future-proofed solutions built around your unique enterprise needs.
Contact our experts today to learn how we can elevate your cloud management strategies and set your business on a path to lasting success.