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A new Adobe report reveals that brands in the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region are at the forefront of generative AI deployment, surpassing their counterparts in the US and Europe. The Adobe Digital Trends 2024 Asia Pacific and Japan report indicates that nearly two-thirds (65%) of APJ brands have either fully or partially implemented AI solutions and pilots. This figure is higher than 61% in the US and 55% in Europe.
While the APJ region leads in AI implementation, specific areas within APJ display varying degrees of adoption. Japan has the highest rate at 82%, followed by India and the broader Asia region at 72%. Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) lag with a 50% implementation rate.
Duncan Egan, vice president of Digital Experience Marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan at Adobe, suggested that the gap between executive perceptions and the practical realities faced by practitioners might be driving some differences. "For some senior executives, adoption can be as simple as signing a vendor contract, while practitioners are likely better acquainted with the realities of having the right data, tools, and training. However, we expect this disconnect to narrow in 2024, with brands poised to strengthen organisational readiness for generative AI deployment," Egan said.
A significant finding from the report is the organisational changes anticipated to support AI adoption. Across APJ, the intent to reorganise teams to better utilise AI technology is highest in Asia (80%) and India (74%), followed by ANZ at 67%. In terms of introducing AI leadership roles, India leads at 78%, followed by Asia at 73%, ANZ at 64% and Japan at 60%.
The report highlights additional insights from the ANZ region. Three-quarters (75%) of ANZ brands see clear benefits of using AI for content creation, and more than a quarter (27%) of practitioners routinely use generative AI for crafting emails, messages, and other forms of copy. Notably, there is a disparity within ANZ: Only 3% of executives acknowledge a lack of a formal AI strategy, compared to 21% of practitioners.
Brands across the APJ region recognise AI's potential to transform their operations significantly. Many are developing guidelines for the responsible use of AI and aligning AI strategies with broader business goals. Seventy-three percent are creating guidelines for the responsible use of AI, and 71% are aligning a comprehensive AI roadmap with broader business objectives.
The study revealed that generative AI integration is viewed as the digital initiative most likely to support growth in 2024 among APJ brands. Egan elucidated, "Generative AI offers a clearer path to unify data, predict customer needs, and deliver more relevant and time-critical content. However, the study shows that despite widespread adoption intentions, only some brands are recalibrating to seize these benefits, putting them ahead in the race for consumer loyalty, conversion, and trust."
