Organizations across Asia Pacific (APAC) are accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, shifting from pilot projects to full-scale enterprise use as they seek resilience and growth, according to professional services firm Accenture.
Accenture’s Pulse of Change research, which surveyed C-suite executives, found that 86% of APAC leaders plan to increase AI investments. About 77% already use AI agents, while 29% have deployed them across multiple business processes.
The data shows a change in priorities. Around 76% of executives now see AI as a driver of revenue growth rather than just a tool for cost reduction, signaling a more significant role for the technology in business strategy.
“As APAC businesses face more volatility with margin pressure, trade disruption, and uneven talent markets, they are starting to scale AI to build resilience,” said Ryoji Sekido, co-CEO for APAC, Accenture. “Companies that are succeeding are not just deploying tools, they are making sustained investments across the business, including in people, process redesign, and operating model evolution.”
As companies move from adoption to scaling AI, the focus has shifted to governance, process redesign, and organizational readiness. Accenture’s research on sovereign AI shows that 62% of APAC organizations plan to increase investments in localized, controlled AI systems.
According to the report, talent remains a challenge. About 41% of CXOs are prioritizing investments to accelerate workforce transformation, while the same percentage identified skills gaps as the biggest barrier to scaling AI.
“The accelerated use of AI agents is a good sign, but it’s important organizations recognize that building agents for everything is not the answer,” Sekido said. “Leaders use it where it matters most, redesigning core processes or deploying agents only at critical decision points. Discipline, not scale, is what drives real value.”
“Organizations across Asia Pacific increasingly recognize that talent reinvention is critical to scaling AI, and 41% say skills readiness and development is the biggest challenge to scaling AI,” said Vivek Luthra, AI and data lead for Accenture in APAC. “Companies that are ahead are redesigning roles and enabling people and AI to learn together in the flow of work.”