Brands across the region leading other geographies in generative AI deployment, set to make major near-term organisational changes to scale up adoption.
Adobe recently released its Digital Trends 2024 Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) report, revealing that brands across Asia Pacific lead other geographies in generative AI deployment and are set to make major near-term organisational changes to scale up adoption.
The Digital Trends 2024 Asia Pacific and Japan research is derived from a global survey of 8,600 executives and practitioners and 6,800 consumers conducted in January and February 2024. The Asia Pacific and Japan analysis includes responses from 1,426 executives and practitioners and 998 consumers, from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Other key findings of the report include:
- 65% of APJ organisations have implemented full or initial AI solutions and pilots, making them further along than peers in the US (61%) and Europe (55%).
- Most brands are developing guidelines for responsible use of AI (73%) and aligning a comprehensive AI roadmap with broader business goals (71%).
- Across APJ, the majority intend to reorganise teams and functions to accommodate AI usage, which is highest in Asia (80%) and India (74%).
- Executives are also prioritising initiatives to help employees upskill and provide clear guardrails for using generative AI. The top-rated is advanced AI skills training for key staff (47%), followed by policies for ethical and secure generative AI usage (45%).
- Over two-thirds of APJ brands believe that generative AI will transform data analytics and management more than any other part of the organisation. They also recognise that data capabilities and governance are a cornerstone capability, with most planning to increase investment in customer data management in 2024.
Within the APJ region, AI deployment is highest in Japan (82%), followed by India (72%).
(evaluation vs implementation of full or initial solutions/pilots)
While executives are confident their generative AI rollouts are advancing to plan, many day-to-day users hold a different view. Across APJ, just 4% of executives say their organisation doesn’t have a formal generative AI adoption strategy, which rises substantially among practitioners. The gap is widest in Japan, where 4% of executives concede there is no formal strategy compared to 37% of practitioners.
(senior executives vs practitioners)
Duncan Egan, Vice President, Digital Experience Marketing Asia Pacific and Japan, Adobe said the disconnect can stem from viewing generative AI through a different lens.
“For some senior executives, adoption can be as simple as signing a vendor contract, while practitioners are likely better acquainted with the realities of having the right data, tools and training. However, we expect this disconnect to narrow in 2024, with brands poised to strengthen organisational readiness for generative AI deployment.”
As a leader in AI and a trusted partner, Adobe is working closely with brands across Asia Pacific as they transition generative AI initiatives from experimentation into enterprise-level deployment. By integrating generative AI into the Adobe apps that marketers already use including Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop and apps within Adobe Experience Platform, it can more easily be adopted into exiting workflows, all in a commercially safe way, backed by enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance.
The report confirms that among APJ brands, generative AI integration is the digital initiative most likely to support growth in 2024. As a result, most brands are developing guidelines for responsible use of AI (73%) and aligning a comprehensive AI roadmap with broader business goals (71%).
“Generative AI offers a clearer path to unify data, predict customer needs, and deliver more relevant and time-critical content. However, the study shows that despite widespread adoption intentions, only some brands are recalibrating to seize these benefits, putting them ahead in the race for consumer loyalty, conversion, and trust,” Egan said.
Brands to adapt organisation structures, skills and data capabilities for AI era
Brands anticipate significant changes to operating models and organisational structures to support generative AI adoption. Across APJ, the majority intend to reorganise teams and functions to accommodate AI usage, which is highest in Asia (80%) and India (74%). Plans to introduce AI leadership roles are also highest in these regions (India at 78% and Asia at 73%).
Executives are also prioritising initiatives to help employees upskill and provide clear guardrails for using generative AI. The top-rated is advanced AI skills training for key staff (47%), followed by policies for ethical and secure generative AI usage (45%).
Over two-thirds of APJ brands also believe that generative AI will transform data analytics and management more than any other part of the organisation. They also recognise that data capabilities and governance are a cornerstone capability, with most planning to increase investment in customer data management in 2024. Within APJ, this is highest in India (75%).
“Asia-Pacific and Japan are at the forefront of generative AI adoption, with brands recognising its transformative potential across their organisations. We’re seeing a strong commitment to restructuring functions and teams, introducing AI leadership roles, and prioritising employee upskilling to fully harness the power of this technology,” says Simon Dale, Vice President of Asia at Adobe. “There is also a clear understanding among businesses that generative AI adoption goes hand in hand with matching data capabilities and responsible governance. We anticipate an increase in investments in these areas that will drive innovation and transformation across the region.”
Sub-regional highlights and comparisons
