According to the latest Generative AI Adoption Index report released by Amazon Web Services (AWS), generative artificial intelligence (AI) has now become the top priority for technology investments among global enterprises, even surpassing traditional core expenditures on security.
A survey conducted with 3,739 IT decision-makers across nine countries reveals that 45% of respondents have prioritized generative AI tools as the top item in their 2025 budgets, significantly surpassing the 30% who chose information security tools. This highlights a growing confidence among businesses in AI-driven innovation.
As the application of generative AI becomes increasingly vital in businesses, the structure of executive positions is evolving. Surveys reveal that 60% of organizations have appointed a Chief AI Officer (CAIO), with an additional 26% planning to establish this role in the coming years. This trend indicates that companies are viewing AI not just as a simple technological tool but as a critical technology requiring strategic oversight at the highest levels.
Notably, leading companies like Amazon and Airbnb have incorporated AI leaders into their boards to provide strategic guidance, further underscoring the importance of AI in shaping the future development of businesses.
Research shows that 90% of surveyed companies have begun implementing generative AI tools, with 44% of these firms having moved beyond the proof-of-concept stage, focusing on pushing for production deployment or fully integrating AI tools into their workflows.
In 2024, companies are expected to conduct an average of 45 generative AI experiments, but by 2025, only about 20 of those (around 44%) are anticipated to actually reach end-users. This gap highlights the challenges of transforming AI experiments into real-world applications.
Respondents highlighted that the biggest barrier to advancing generative AI experiments is the lack of talent with AI skills (55%), followed closely by high development costs (48%) and issues related to biases and hallucinations within AI models (40%).
To tackle the challenge of talent shortages, companies are adopting a dual approach that combines internal training with external recruitment. A survey reveals that 56% of businesses have already established generative AI training programs, while another 19% plan to launch related initiatives in the coming years.
At the same time, 92% of companies plan to hire talent with expertise in generative AI by 2025, with 26% of companies expecting that at least half of the new positions will require applicants to possess generative AI skills. In the information and communication technology sector, this percentage rises to as high as 35%, while in manufacturing, 28% of companies intend to list generative AI skills as a necessary requirement for a certain proportion of new roles.
In the face of the rapid advancements in AI technology, most businesses are opting for a hybrid strategy of building and purchasing rather than starting from scratch to develop solutions. A notable 58% of companies plan to build custom applications on top of existing models, while 55% intend to develop custom applications through fine-tuning models. Only 25% of businesses are planning to deploy completely self-developed solutions.
The differences in industry releases are also quite apparent, with companies in education (45%), financial services (44%), and information and communication technology (43%) being the most inclined to directly implement off-the-shelf AI applications. Notably, despite the financial services sector typically relying on proprietary data and custom solutions, nearly half of the firms indicated a preference for ready-made applications, highlighting a strong focus on rapid deployment, cost-effectiveness, and advanced AI capabilities.
When it comes to deploying AI technology, 65% of businesses plan to rely on third-party vendors to some extent. Of these, 15% will depend entirely on external suppliers, while 50% intend to collaborate by combining the strengths of their internal teams with external vendors.
Experts point out that Hong Kong enterprises should focus on three key actions when designing their AI strategies: implementing change management tactics, overcoming training barriers, and collaborating with strategic partners to accelerate deployment.
