GenAI emerges as top priority for APAC C-Suite leaders, Salesforce study reveals
Despite rising adoption, barriers such as accessibility, data issues, and costs remain hurdles in the journey toward full integration of Generative AI across the region.
ADVERTISEMENT
Generative AI (GEN AI) has swiftly climbed the ranks of business priorities, with 83% of C-suite executives across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region now placing it among their top three concerns, according to new research by Salesforce.
The study which surveyed 1,243 leaders from large organizations, highlighted that 54% of businesses already have a clear Gen AI strategy, while 40% are in the process of developing one.
The findings point to key drivers behind this AI push, with the desire to innovate customer and employee experiences (44%) and meet rising customer expectations for faster, more personalized service (44%) topping the list. Boosting productivity and efficiency also remains a central motivator, noted by 43% of executives.
In terms of leadership accountability, CEOs are seen as most responsible for ensuring successful integration of Gen AI, according to 37% of respondents. Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) follow closely at 25%, with department heads accounting for 19%.
When asked where Gen AI would create the most positive impact, APAC executives pointed to information technology (42%), operations(31%), customer service (30%), and research and insights (28%).
Despite its broad adoption, 93% of APAC executives acknowledged that significant barriers still impede Gen AI's full integration. The most common challenges include accessibility and inclusivity (37%), lack of skill-building opportunities (31%), incomplete customer or company data for AI training (30%), concerns over AI tools delivering inaccurate results (30%), and cost to implement Gen AI tools (30%).
Industry-wide Growth
The Salesforce study aligns with a broader trend revealed in Capgemini's "Harnessing the Value of Generative AI 2nd edition" report, which indicates that 80% of organizations are increasing their investments in Gen AI into business operations has surged, with 24% of companies having integrated AI across various functions - a significant jump from just 6% last year.
Retail, in particular, has seen a notable rise in AI deployment, with implementation growing to 40%, more than doubling the figure from 2023.
