Lenovo Study: ASEAN+ Leads Hybrid AI Adoption at 68%, Governance, Risk & Compliance Emerges as Top Priority for CIOs

Singapore, 27 March 2025 – A new study from Lenovo, in collaboration with IDC, highlights the accelerating shift toward ROI-driven AI investments, with AI spending projected to increase by 3.3 times in Asia Pacific (AP) and 2.7 times in ASEAN+1. The third edition of Lenovo’s CIO Playbook 2025 – It’s Time for AI-nomics—drawn from a global survey of over 2,900 IT and business decision-makers, including 900 from 12 AP markets—reveals how enterprises are prioritizing AI adoption, overcoming challenges, and leveraging hybrid infrastructures for growth.

AI Adoption in ASEAN+: ROI Remains a Key Challenge

While AI adoption continues to gain traction, ASEAN+ organizations remain in the early stages, with 47% either evaluating or planning AI implementation within the next year. This lags behind AP (56%) and global (49%) averages, with concerns over ROI being a primary hurdle. Singapore leads the region in AI maturity and infrastructure, whereas other ASEAN+ nations face constraints in expertise and resources.

Delivering ROI from AI investments requires organizations to balance experimentation with scalable initiatives. AP enterprises anticipate a 3.6x ROI on AI projects, underlining the need for a structured approach that integrates AI into operations effectively. ASEAN+ businesses are focusing on optimizing supply chains, improving regulatory compliance, and enhancing employee productivity while navigating challenges related to data management, security, and AI expertise.

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC): The Top AI Priority for CIOs

As AI adoption expands, CIOs are recognizing the critical need for robust governance. Ethical concerns, biases, and security risks remain pressing challenges, yet only 24% of organizations globally and 25% in AP have fully enforced AI GRC policies. In ASEAN+, 24% of CIOs report having implemented enterprise-wide AI GRC policies, underscoring the urgency of structured governance frameworks.

“Business priorities are shifting in Asia Pacific,” said Sumir Bhatia, President, Asia Pacific Infrastructure Solutions Group, Lenovo. “For 2025, governance, risk, and compliance have jumped 12 spots to become the top priority, highlighting the focus on secure and responsible AI. Employee productivity has also climbed from #7 to #2, underscoring its growing importance. Lenovo is committed to making AI accessible, ethical, and impactful—helping businesses of all sizes thrive in the AI era.”

GenAI: Transforming Enterprise Workflows

Generative AI is playing a pivotal role in AI adoption, commanding 42% of AI investment in ASEAN+ for 2025. Key trends include:

• In AP, IT Operations is the top use case, while ASEAN+ prioritizes Customer Service.
• Cybersecurity (#2) and software development (#3) remain key focus areas in AP.
• In ASEAN+, IT Operations (#2) and Engineering/R&D (#3) are key priorities.

Hybrid AI Infrastructure: The Preferred Approach

A majority of AP organizations (65%) are leveraging hybrid or on-premise AI infrastructures to ensure security, flexibility, and low-latency performance. ASEAN+ is leading in hybrid AI adoption, with 68% of organizations opting for hybrid or on-premise GPU and CPU deployments, surpassing the global average.

“Hybrid architectures offer the best of both worlds—scalability and control,” noted Kumar Mitra, Managing Director and Regional General Manager, CAP & ANZ, Lenovo ISG. “Globally, 63% of organizations choose on-premise and hybrid infrastructures for AI, and ASEAN+ is leading with a higher adoption rate. This demonstrates a clear focus on driving innovation while ensuring security and compliance for the unique demands of AI. With its end-to-end cutting-edge AI solutions, smarter infrastructure, and strategic partnerships, Lenovo is driving Smarter AI for All.”

The Role of AI-Powered PCs in Productivity Gains

AI-powered PCs are gaining traction, with 43% of AP organizations reporting significant productivity improvements. While adoption remains in early stages, 65% of ASEAN+ enterprises are planning AI-powered PC deployment, with expectations of accelerated adoption as ROI becomes more evident.

Skilled Partnerships: Addressing AI Implementation Challenges

With AI scaling across industries, 34% of AP CIOs and 44% of ASEAN+ CIOs are engaging professional AI services to address data management, talent shortages, and cost efficiency. Another 56% of ASEAN+ CIOs plan to explore AI services in the near future, highlighting a growing need for strategic partnerships.

“AI adoption is not just about the short-term gains. Organizations need to invest in the efficiency of the design, deployment, and integration of AI solutions to their operations that enable tracking of the impact. Professional AI services play a key role here and help organizations successfully adopt AI through outcome-led approach. Solutions like Lenovo’s AI Fast Start further accelerate this process, helping businesses quickly pilot, optimize, and scale AI initiatives with expert guidance and tested frameworks,” said Fan Ho, Executive Director and General Manager, Solutions and Services Group, Lenovo Asia Pacific.

As AI adoption continues to evolve, organizations must navigate the complexities of governance, infrastructure, and workforce readiness. With hybrid AI architectures, structured compliance frameworks, and skilled collaborations, ASEAN+ enterprises are poised to drive innovation while ensuring security and business resilience in the AI era.