A survey by Digital Realty reveals that 59% of Asian Pacific companies expect to increase their AI investment by more than 25% in 2026 compared to 2025.
Key points
•59% of Asian Pacific companies plan to increase their AI investment by over 25% in 2026.
•Australia leads in realizing ROI from AI investments, while Japan prioritizes regulatory compliance.
•92% of respondents align their data location strategies with their AI plans.
According to the '2026 Global Data Insights Survey' (GDIS) released by Digital Realty, a global leader in neutral cloud and communications infrastructure, AI investments are rapidly growing across the Asian Pacific region. However, the methods companies are converting AI value into business outcomes vary by market.
The survey found that 59% of respondents from the Asian Pacific expect their AI investment to grow by more than 25% in 2026 compared to 2025, surpassing the global average of 55%. Thirty-six percent of respondents have already identified repeatable and highly effective AI use cases, while a similar percentage reported achieving measurable business outcomes through AI.
Market-specific priorities for AI adoption highlight regional characteristics. In Australia, 33% of respondents said they are currently realizing an AI return on investment (ROI), significantly higher than the Asian Pacific average of 16%. Meanwhile, in Japan, regulatory compliance was cited as the top priority for a successful AI strategy by 30% of respondents. Singapore faced challenges with insufficient specialized AI infrastructure, with 50% of respondents citing it as a key issue.
