Enterprises across the ASEAN+ region are moving rapidly from AI experimentation to full-scale execution, with 96% of organizations planning to increase their AI investments over the next 12 months. According to the fourth edition of the Lenovo CIO Playbook 2026 – The Race for Enterprise AI, these organizations expect AI spending to grow by an average of 15% in 2026.
The study, commissioned by Lenovo with insights from IDC, reveals that this surge in spending will cover a broad spectrum of technologies, including Generative AI (GenAI), Agentic AI, public cloud AI services, on-premises AI infrastructure, and advanced AI security tools.
Strategic Shift to Business Outcomes
As AI becomes more deeply embedded in corporate strategy, CIOs in the Asia Pacific region have identified three primary business priorities: driving revenue growth, improving profitability, and enhancing both business and customer experiences.
“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. Bhatia emphasized that the key differentiator for businesses will be how effectively they integrate AI into their existing infrastructure and operations to ensure value compounds over time.
Productivity and the Rise of AI PCs
The report also highlights a significant shift in IT investment priorities, with employee productivity climbing to the #2 spot. This trend is driving the adoption of AI-enabled hardware; the study predicts that 50% of all enterprise PC purchases in the region will soon shift to models equipped with on-device AI agents.
The Challenge of Scaling
Despite high ambitions, the “race for AI” faces a critical bottleneck: scaling. While 88% of organizations expect to see a positive return on investment (ROI) from their AI initiatives, currently only about half of all AI proof-of-concepts successfully reach the production stage. For many regional leaders, the defining challenge of 2026 will be closing the gap between initial ambition and large-scale operational success.
