'Don't treat AI as afterthought'

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it is a critical lever for business transformation today.

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Yet, organizations often struggle to move beyond theoretical strategies into tangible implementation. There is a growing need for structured frameworks, responsible deployment models, and skilled talent to make AI truly enterprise-ready. In this interview, Fan Ho, executive director and general manager of Solutions & Services Group (SSG), Asia Pacific at Lenovo, speaks to Sudhir Chowdhary about how Lenovo's approach is helping organizations turn AI vision into measurable outcomes. Excerpts:

Despite significant interest, AI adoption remains uneven across industries. What are the most persistent challenges?

The key barriers are not technological—they are structural. Organizations must address three critical areas before thinking about the tools: people, processes, and governance. In our experience, many enterprises are eager to experiment with AI, but lack internal capabilities and governance frameworks to deploy it effectively. Our recent survey revealed that only 19% of Indian companies have a formal AI governance structure in place, compared to 25% across the Asia-Pacific region. Without this foundation, AI remains a pilot—never a fully integrated solution.

Is ROI on AI really measurable?