Kubernetes Established as the De Facto ‘Operating System’ for AI as Production Use Hits 82% in 2025 CNCF Annual Cloud Native Survey

Infrastructure Maturity is Near-Universal Kubernetes as the AI Platform GitOps and Platform Engineering Define ‘Innovators’ Observability is the Second Most Active Frontier Cultural Challenges Have Overtaken Technical Complexity What’s Next for Cloud Native New CNCF Annual Cloud Native Survey reveals near-universal adoption of Kubernetes Key highlights: The CNCF Annual Cloud Native Survey reveals that Kubernetes has solidified its role as the de facto ‘operating system’ for AI, with 82% of container users now running it in production environments. It confirms that Kubernetes is no longer an emerging technology but the established, reliable foundation for modern enterprise infrastructure, enabling companies to confidently scale and operationalize critical AI workloads. Enterprises and organizations, AI/ML and development teams, platform engineers, and the broader CNCF community benefit from the established, standardized platform Kubernetes provides for scaling modern and AI workloads. The full survey results are now available on the CNCF website, and an upcoming webinar will provide further details. SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 20, 2026 — The Cloud Native Computing Foundation ® (CNCF®), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today released its Annual Cloud Native Survey results, revealing that Kubernetes has solidified its role as the ‘operating system’ for AI, with 82% of container users now running Kubernetes in production. The findings illustrate how Kubernetes has become the common denominator for cloud native scale, stability, and innovation, especially as organizations bring AI workloads into production environments. Kubernetes has evolved beyond orchestration to become the backbone of enterprise infrastructure. Its role in scaling AI workloads demonstrates how integral it has become to modern production environments. Cloud native technologies are core to production environments, especially as companies look to operationalize AI. “Over the past decade, Kubernetes has become the foundation of modern infrastructure,” said Jonathan Bryce, executive director of CNCF. “Now, as AI and cloud native converge, we’re entering a new chapter. Kubernetes isn’t just scaling applications; it’s becoming the platform for intelligent systems.