According to a study by Accenture, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Asia Pacific (Apac) region is expected to accelerate in the coming years. However, only 1% of firms report being fully prepared to manage AI-related risks.
Accenture finds that businesses see the potential of AI use to improve productivity among employees and boost revenue, with most planning to use advanced AI models within three years.
The study found that 57% of Apac companies consider data privacy and governance their biggest AI-related risk, while 53% cited security concerns. Despite these risks, investment in responsible AI is growing. The number of companies making significant investments in this area is expected to increase from 10% to 50% over the next two years.
“To scale AI effectively, companies must build trust, establish a strong data foundation, and integrate responsible AI practices,” said Ryoji Sekido, co-CEO for Apac at Accenture.
AI maturity
The research assessed responsible AI maturity based on two factors: organizational and operational readiness. While 78% of Apac firms show strong organizational maturity — meaning they have governance and risk management structures in place — only 10% have operational maturity, which measures how well companies implement AI safeguards.
Nineteen percent (19%) of Apac firms are making progress in both organizational and operational AI maturity, slightly above the global average of 15%. However, many still struggle to implement AI responsibly across all risk areas, including reliability, human oversight, and environmental impact.
Accenture recommends several steps to help companies address AI risks. Organizations should define AI governance principles with clear accountability, ensuring that responsibility for AI-related decisions is well established. Conducting structured risk assessments on fairness, transparency, and accuracy is essential to identifying potential biases and weaknesses. Continuous testing helps maintain AI fairness and safety, while real-time monitoring systems ensure compliance with evolving standards. Aligning AI strategies with ethical and regulatory requirements further strengthens responsible AI practices.