As organizations increasingly integrate AI into their core operations, senior executives are recognizing data engineers as crucial to bringing these initiatives to fruition. The effectiveness of AI hinges on the availability of large, reliable, well-managed, and high-quality data, positioning data engineers as key enablers. A survey of 400 senior data and technology executives, conducted by MIT Technology Review Insights, indicates that data engineers' influence now extends far beyond traditional pipeline management. The rise of AI is also reshaping their roles, with a growing proportion of their time dedicated to AI-specific activities. However, this increased influence comes with challenges. Data engineers face growing complexity due to advanced AI models that require managing unstructured data and real-time pipelines. They are also grappling with expanding workloads, as demands on their expertise continue to increase. Key findings from the report include:

Integral to the Business: 72% of surveyed technology leaders view data engineers as integral to the business, a sentiment that rises to 86% among those in larger, more AI-mature organizations. This view is particularly strong in financial services and manufacturing.
AI's Transformative Impact: The time data engineers spend on AI projects has nearly doubled in the past two years, from 19% in 2023 to an average of 37% in 2025. Respondents anticipate this figure will continue to rise, reaching an average of 61% within the next two years, further contributing to heavier workloads, which 77% of respondents already perceive as growing.