Jakarta, INTI - IBM is targeting companies in the Asia Pacific to transform into artificial intelligence (AI)-powered organizations by 2030. It is projected that companies that will lead in this era will be those capable of implementing AI across all lines of business to transform operations, accelerate innovation, and create long-term competitive advantage.
"Asia Pacific is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the race to AI-first enterprises," said Hans Dekkers, IBM Asia Pacific General Manager, during the IBM THINK on Tour Singapore 2026.
According to Hans, the Asia Pacific region has a significant opportunity to become leaders in the race towards an AI-driven economy. However, the success of this transformation depends on three key foundations: trusted AI, ready-to-use data, and an open, hybrid, and sovereign digital infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale AI deployments.
Challenges in AI Implementation
Hans explained that one of the challenges in the region is the difference in regulations, data sovereignty requirements, and complex, large-scale hybrid systems. About 68% of executives also identified data storage and sovereignty as challenges in AI implementation.
Therefore, organizations need to build AI systems with trust, control, security, and compliance in mind from the early stages of development.
"By building and adopting AI that is designed from the outset and tailored to the sovereign needs of a region, AI governance and implementation can be widely trusted," explained Hans.
An IBM study shows that 79% of global executives expect AI to contribute significantly to company revenue by 2030, primarily through agentic AI. Approximately 80% of executives are also increasing investment in this sector, while spending on AI agents is expected to nearly triple in 2027.
Conclusion
IBM aims to transform Asia Pacific companies into AI-driven enterprises by 2030, with success dependent on trusted AI, ready-to-use data, and a sovereign digital foundation. Meanwhile, IBM mentioned that challenges in AI implementation in the region include regulatory differences, data sovereignty, complexity of hybrid systems, and data storage. An IBM study also shows that 79% of global executives expect AI to contribute significantly to company revenue by 2030, and investments in agentic AI will increase in the coming years.
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