Ninety-six percent of enterprises across Asia Pacific plan to increase their investments in artificial intelligence (AI) over the next 12 months, with average spending expected to rise by 15%, according to the fourth edition of the Lenovo CIO Playbook 2026 commissioned by technology company Lenovo with research support from IDC.
The study shows that companies in the ASEAN+ region follow the same pattern, with 96% also planning higher AI budgets. Spending will cover generative AI (GenAI), agentic AI, public cloud AI services, on-premise AI infrastructure, and AI security tools.
“When 96% of organizations are planning a 15% on average increase in AI investment, it tells us that AI decisions are now being made at the core of enterprise strategy,” said Sumir Bhatia, president, Asia Pacific, ISG, Lenovo. “The differentiator will be how effectively organizations integrate AI, embedding it into infrastructure, operations, and security so value compounds over time.”
The report shows that AI is no longer treated as an experiment. Chief information officers (CIOs) in Asia Pacific now see revenue growth, better profitability, and improved customer and business experience as their top priorities for AI use.
Compared with last year’s focus on proving business value, the 2026 Playbook points to a shift toward results-based AI adoption. CIOs remain confident in AI’s benefits but are becoming more careful about making sure projects deliver clear and lasting outcomes.
Eighty-eight percent of organizations in Asia Pacific expect to see positive returns from AI investments in 2026. On average, they expect a return of 2.8 times, or about $2.85 for every $1 invested. However, moving AI projects from pilot stages to full production remains a challenge, highlighting the need for stronger governance, clearer operating models, and better management across the AI lifecycle.
AI use is also spreading beyond IT teams. Sixty-six percent of Asia Pacific organizations are already piloting or systematically adopting AI, while 15% are still in early stages and 19% are only considering adoption. In ASEAN+, 67% are piloting or adopting AI, 15% are in early stages, and 18% are still evaluating.
The study shows AI is now used in customer service, marketing, operations, finance, and industry-specific functions. About half of surveyed organizations said non-IT departments are now funding AI initiatives, expanding the CIO’s role to coordinate AI use across the enterprise.
Interest in agentic AI, which involves systems that can act with more independence, is expected to grow sharply over the next year. Currently, 21% of Asia Pacific organizations report significant use, while nearly 60% are exploring or planning limited deployments. Adoption is strongest in telecommunications, healthcare, and government sectors.
Despite growing interest, readiness remains uneven. Only 10% of organizations consider themselves ready to scale agentic AI, and 41% expect scaling to take more than a year. Security, governance, data quality, and system integration remain key barriers.
The Lenovo CIO Playbook 2026 outlines three main priorities for the year ahead: managing rising AI inferencing costs, using AI tools to improve employee productivity, and closing the gap between AI pilots and full-scale deployment.