Business leaders and information technology (IT) decision-makers cited the accelerating shift toward return on investment (RoI)-driven-artificial intelligence (AI) investments.

AI spending has increased by 3.3x in Asia Pacific and 2.7x in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the third edition of Lenovo’s CIO Playbook 2025 — It’s Time for AI-nomics, commissioned by Lenovo with insights by IDC.

The study is based on a global study of more than 2,900 respondents, including more than 900 IT and business decision-makers from 12 markets including India, Korea, Japan, ASEAN+ (Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand).

The rapid growth in AI investment underscores the region’s increasing readiness, with ASEAN markets — particularly the Philippines — making significant strides to scale up AI adoption.

As part of its national strategy, the Philippines is prioritizing innovation, digital infrastructure, and talent development to drive AI integration across key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, BPO and healthcare.

Initiatives like the National AI Roadmap (2021–2028) and plans for a National Center for AI Research reflect a coordinated push to enable research, upskilling, and practical deployment of AI technologies, contributing to a broader effort to position the country as a meaningful player in the regional AI ecosystem.

Lenovo’s “Smarter Technology for All” vision aligns with these priorities. As a global technology leader, Lenovo is advancing secure, ethical, and accessible AI solutions across consumer, enterprise, and public domains.

Leveraging its comprehensive end-to-end AI portfolio, Lenovo is well-positioned to contribute to Philippines’ ambitions — empowering enterprises and individuals to harness the transformative potential of AI driving productivity, innovation, and measurable value.

ROI the greatest barrier

While there is gradual rise in AI spending, the journey toward full-scale adoption is still evolving AI with 47 percent ASEAN+ organizations either evaluating or planning to implement AI within the next 12 months.

This is lower than both Asia Pacific (56 percent) and global (49 percent) averages, with ROI challenges emerging as a key barrier to faster adoption. Singapore leads as the regional hub with advanced AI maturity, while other ASEAN+ nations are still in the early stages of adoption due to limited resources and AI expertise.

Delivering RoI for AI is a long-term endeavor that requires balancing AI experiments with those that can be scaled.

AP organizations expect a 3.6x RoI on average from their AI projects, which requires a measured approach to scaling AI and building internal capabilities.

ASEAN+ gradual pace reflects a focus on optimizing supply chain, improving regulatory compliance, and boosting employee productivity while overcoming business challenges such as data management, AI expertise and data security.