Effective AI governance is no longer a choice but a necessity. It requires a clear framework of explainability, ethical standards, accountability, and model governance.

On top of that, enhanced privacy, security, and integrated human oversight are pivotal. As the world embraces the potential of AI, the focus on secure and responsible AI is becoming more prominent in business priorities.

“Business priorities are shifting in Asia Pacific,” said Lenovo’s Sumir Bhatia. “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 number seven to number two, underscoring its growing importance.” said Bhatia

As AI continues to evolve, Generative AI (GenAI) is poised to transform enterprise workflows, accounting for a substantial 38% of AI implementation spend in Australia and New Zealand by 2025.

Key takeaways from the latest industry report paint a clear picture of AI’s growing dominance in the region:

• IT Operations remain the top use case across both Asia Pacific and Australia/New Zealand, showing the critical role of AI in enhancing operational efficiency.
  
  
• Cybersecurity and software development are gaining more attention in Asia Pacific, a direct response to the growing need for secure, reliable technology infrastructures.
  
  
• Sales and finance are emerging as priority areas in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting the importance of AI-driven solutions in driving revenue and optimizing financial operations.

Reports also revealed an interesting trend: 65% of organisations in Asia Pacific are opting for on-premise or hybrid solutions to power AI workloads.

This shift is driven by the need for secure, low-latency environments and operational flexibility. Public cloud services, on the other hand, are still relied on by just 19% of companies.

Australia and New Zealand show a similar trend, with 66% of organisations choosing hybrid or on-premise solutions, while the remaining companies rely on public cloud infrastructure.

“Hybrid architectures offer the best of both worlds – scalability and control,” said Silke Barlow, Lenovo Australia.

“Globally, 63% of organisations choose on-premise and hybrid infrastructures for AI, with Australia and New Zealand leading the way, surpassing both the global and Asia Pacific averages with a higher adoption rate.

“This alignment demonstrates a clear focus on driving innovation while staying secure and compliant for the unique demands of AI.” Barlow, said.

In terms of productivity, AI-powered PCs are making headway in Asia Pacific, with 43% of organisations reporting significant productivity gains. However, local adoption is still catching up.

In Australia and New Zealand, 63% of organisations are already in the planning stage for AI-powered PC adoption. As the technology matures and delivers measurable returns on investment, the adoption curve is expected to accelerate, bringing more AI-driven digital workplace solutions.

As AI adoption scales across industries, CIOs in Australia and New Zealand are leading the charge. A total of 37% are actively leveraging professional AI services, compared to 34% in Asia Pacific

These services are helping organisations navigate complexities such as data management, talent shortages, and cost efficiency. Furthermore, 46% of CIOs in Australia and New Zealand are planning to engage these professional services in the near future.

Such collaborations are crucial for filling internal capability gaps, enabling organizations to focus on upskilling their teams and building long-term resilience.

“AI adoption is not just about the short-term gains,” said Lenovo’s Fan Ho. “Organisations 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 organisations successfully adopt AI through an outcome-led approach.” said. Ho.