# Asia Pacific Is Not Just Joining the AI Race, It’s Winning It - Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/generative-ai/304295-asia-pacific-is-not-just-joining-the-ai-race-its-winning-it - Published: 2026-04-30T07:58:00+07:00 - Author: J. Allan For years, the global conversation about artificial intelligence has been dominated by the West. Silicon Valley labs, European regulators, and Washington policy circles have set the terms of debate, while the Asia Pacific was often framed as a fast follower, capable, ambitious, but trailing. A major new [survey](https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights/ai-and-technology/asia-pacific-ai-adoption-advantage.html) from KPMG should put that narrative to rest. ### Key Takeaways * **Asia Pacific’s AI leadership**: The region is no longer a “fast follower” but is pulling ahead in global AI adoption, according to KPMG’s Global AI Pulse survey. * **Investment scale**: Asia Pacific firms plan to invest an average of **US$245M** in AI over the next year, surpassing the global average of **US$186M**. Korea leads with projected spending of **US$358M**. * **Resilience in downturns**: 75% of firms say they will maintain AI investment even during a recession; in India, this rises to 86%. The findings from KPMG’s inaugural Global AI Pulse survey, drawing on responses from more than 2,100 senior executives across 20 countries, including 559 from six key Asia Pacific markets, reveal a region that is not catching up to the rest of the world. It is pulling ahead. ADVERTISEMENT ## Money Talks, And Asia Pacific Is Shouting The clearest signal is financial. Asia Pacific firms plan to invest, on average, US$245 million in AI over the next 12 months, well above the global average of US $186 million.  That gap alone would be notable. But what makes it remarkable is the resolve behind those numbers: three-quarters of ASPAC firms say that even an economic recession would not deter their AI investment. In India, that figure climbs to 86 percent. Korea deserves special attention. With an average projected AI spend of US$358 million, and more than a third of Korean firms planning to invest over US$500 million in the next year alone, the country is not merely participating in the AI economy; it is betting its corporate future on it. ### Related**Posts** ### 󠀁[Thailand Business News — Morning Briefing](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/news/339782-thailand-business-news-morning-briefing-9)󠁿 ### 󠀁[Southeast Asia’s AI Advancement Demands Greater Openness and Accountability](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/asean/336584-southeast-asias-ai-advancement-demands-greater-openness-and-accountability)󠁿 ### 󠀁[Why Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) matters for the ASEAN market](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/asean/332123-why-generative-engine-optimisation-geo-matters-for-the-asean-market)󠁿 ### 󠀁[Asia: The Key Challenge for AI Uncertainty in Market Analysis](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/generative-ai/335003-asia-the-key-challenge-for-ai-uncertainty-in-market-analysis)󠁿 This is not reckless speculation. Companies in the region are seeing results. Sixty- nine percent of surveyed ASPAC firms report tangible benefits from AI adoption, productivity gains, cost savings, revenue growth, or sharper decision-making, slightly above the global average of 64 percent. In India, that number reaches 79 percent, the highest of any market surveyed. The returns are real, and they are fuelling further commitment. ## From Pilot Programs to Full Deployment Perhaps the most telling signal of Asia Pacific’s maturity in AI is the pace of agent deployment. One in three ASPAC firms is already scaling AI agents across multiple business functions, a figure led by Korea at 41 percent. These are not internal experiments or proof-of-concept projects. These are operational systems running in technology, IT, operations, marketing, and sales. More significantly, almost half of ASPAC respondents say AI agents are automating workflows that span multiple departments. And the ambition goes further still: four in ten ASPAC firms expect AI agents to independently manage specific projects within the next two to three years, not merely assist with them. That is well ahead of the global share of 30 percent. This distinction matters. There is a fundamental difference between AI that supports human decision-making and AI that leads it. ASPAC companies are not only comfortable with that trajectory,, but they are also actively building toward it. ## The Workforce Question Critics of AI adoption often point to workforce disruption as the hidden cost of automation. The KPMG data tells a more nuanced story, and it reflects well on how ASPAC companies are managing the transition. Sixty-two percent of firms in the region are upskilling or reskilling their current workforce, while 56 percent are simultaneously hiring for new AI-specific roles, architects, prompt engineers, and similar positions that simply did not exist a decade ago. Crucially, the skills most in demand are not purely technical. Critical thinking, adaptability, and creative reasoning rank high among the competencies companies are seeking. The message is clear: AI augments human intelligence; it does not simply replace human labour. India again leads. Four in five Indian firms report making strong progress toward a fully integrated human-AI workforce, against a global average of 60 percent. And across the region, 70 percent of companies express confidence that their current talent pipeline can meet the demands of an AI-enabled future. For a technology that is scaling at unprecedented speed, that level of workforce readiness is a genuine competitive advantage. ## Governance Is Not an Afterthought The story of Asia Pacific’s AI rise would be incomplete and misleading without acknowledging the challenges that remain. Data security, privacy, and cybersecurity are legitimate concerns. Nearly 29 percent of ASPAC companies say these issues could prompt them to pause AI implementation in the next six months, and an additional 45 percent say it could lead to a slowdown. Almost half identify risk considerations as the biggest obstacle to demonstrating return on investment. These are not trivial obstacles, and they should not be dismissed. But the governance structures forming around AI in the region suggest that companies are taking the risks seriously rather than ignoring them. Today, 82 percent of boards in ASPAC cover AI topics, more than in any other region. Nearly four in five have at least one board director with genuine AI expertise. As companies scale complex, cross-functional AI systems, this kind of leadership- level engagement is not a luxury. It is a prerequisite for sustainable deployment. ## What This Means for the World Asia Pacific’s AI trajectory is partly explained by history. The region has long been characterised by rapid technology adoption, and consumers and businesses alike have integrated new platforms, tools, and systems faster than their counterparts in other parts of the world. AI is the latest chapter in that pattern, not an exception to it. But history alone does not account for the ambition on display in the KPMG data. The combination of large-scale capital commitment, accelerating deployment, workforce investment, and board-level governance suggests that ASPAC companies have made a strategic decision: AI is not a productivity tool to be cautiously evaluated. It is the central platform for future business growth and resilience. The gap between ambition and capability will not close overnight. Almost one in three ASPAC companies has yet to see meaningful business value from AI. The operational frameworks for managing cross-functional AI systems are still maturing. Skills gaps persist. But the direction of travel is unmistakable. The question for business leaders, policymakers, and investors elsewhere in the world is not whether Asia Pacific is serious about AI. The question is whether the rest of the world is serious enough to keep pace.