Countries in 'Asean+' to ramp up Al investment this year

Business leaders in “Asean+” countries are expected to increase their artificial intelligence (AI) investments by 2.7 times this year in a bid to lift productivity, according to Lenovo.

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK

This should drive demand for AI-powered PCs and hybrid/on-premises infrastructure, according to Lenovo's “CIO Playbook 2025 — It’s Time for Al-nomics’ report, commissioned by Lenovo with insights provided by IDC.

The global study involved more than 2,900 respondents, including over 900 IT and business decision-makers from 12 Asia-Pacific markets, comprising India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand as well as a group of nations the company calls Asean+, consisting of Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Thailand is among Lenovo's four largest markets in greater Asia-Pacific, comprising 11 countries, and is emerging as a potential AI hub in the region.

The business priorities of organisations in Asean+ include optimising supply chain/inventory, improving regulatory compliance and employee productivity, sustainability, and applying emerging AI technologies such as generative AI (GenAI), said Matt Codrington, vice-president and regional general manager for greater Asia-Pacific at Lenovo, during Lenovo Tech Day held in Bangkok on Tuesday.