Not long ago, AI was just another emerging technology—one of many trends shaping business. Now, it’s consuming more data than any other industry, by a mile.

In 2024, AI-driven data demand grew 690%. That’s not just growth but a fundamental shift in how businesses operate. Before generative AI, machine learning and AI fueled everything from customer recommendations and fraud detection to supply chain forecasting and drug discovery. With the widespread adoption of large language models, it’s doing even more – helping businesses synthesize information, ideate, iterate, and prototype, supercharging creative and intellectual work of all kinds. As these systems become more sophisticated, they need more data, faster than ever before.

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These insights came from analyzing the total volume of data moved by Fivetran customers across major industries throughout 2024 compared with the previous year. The trends reveal which industries are scaling their data pipelines at breakneck speed.

AI is driving unmatched growth

The numbers tell us that AI isn’t just growing, it’s dominating. A 690% increase in AI-related data movement means companies are investing heavily in training large language models (LLMs), refining machine learning models, and automating critical business processes. AI isn’t just an add-on anymore—it’s becoming the foundation of how businesses make decisions.

AI’s growing influence is forcing other industries to adapt. Legal firms (+211.2%) are processing massive volumes of contracts and case data using AI. Healthcare (+99.7%) is transforming patient diagnostics and automation with AI-driven insights. AI is turning traditionally slow-moving industries into data powerhouses, requiring secure, automated, and high-volume data movement to function effectively.

Retail, manufacturing, and finance are scaling up

Beyond AI, several industries are expanding their data capabilities to stay competitive.

• Retail (+54.2%) and manufacturing (+64.7%) are using AI to optimize supply chains, predict demand, and automate operations. The more real-time data these industries can access, the faster they can adapt to market conditions.
• Insurance (+40.7%) and financial services (+27.5%) are leveraging AI to detect fraud, model risk, and improve customer experiences. AI-powered underwriting and automated compliance monitoring are driving major shifts in how financial data is handled.
• In financial services, a key factor is the shift toward real-time analytics and AI-driven risk assessment. Traditional banking models are giving way to instant transaction monitoring and predictive modeling, allowing firms to respond faster to market fluctuations.
• For insurers, AI is streamlining claims processing and policy pricing, using predictive analytics to cut down on manual work and reduce fraud risk.

These industries may not be growing at AI’s pace, but they’re quickly realizing that the ability to move, integrate, and analyze data efficiently is the key to staying ahead.

Some industries are seeing declines

Not every sector is experiencing explosive growth in data usage. Media (-27.5%) and logistics (-33.2%) have seen sharp declines in data movement. But this doesn’t mean they’re using less data—it means they’re optimizing how they move it.

Media companies are increasingly shifting to AI-powered content distribution, automating everything from ad placements to personalized recommendations. The shift toward efficiency means less bulk data movement and more refined, targeted use of AI.

Logistics companies specializing in warehousing and storage, meanwhile, are seeing declines because AI-powered logistics have made supply chain data more efficient. Companies aren’t moving less data—they’re just doing it smarter, with AI reducing redundancy and waste.

The future belongs to businesses that can keep up

The pace of change is staggering. AI’s hunger for data isn’t slowing down, and industries that embrace this shift are positioning themselves for long-term success. Those that don’t risk falling behind.

This acceleration also presents a major challenge: moving and managing data at scale. That’s where Fivetran’s automated data pipelines come in. Enterprises need real-time data integration that can keep pace with AI-driven demand, ensuring clean, high-quality data flows without bottlenecks.

The industries growing the fastest are the ones investing in scalable, automated, and AI-ready data movement. The question isn’t whether AI will reshape industries—it already is. The real question is: is your data infrastructure built to handle what’s next?

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