By Holt Hackney
IT leaders in the Asia-Pacific region are entering a year defined by faster adoption of artificial intelligence, increased cost sensitivity and greater accountability to executive leadership, according to a report by Info-Tech Research Group.
While AI remains a central pillar of enterprise strategy, technology leaders face growing pressure to demonstrate clear business impact from major investments. Adoption alone is no longer sufficient to meet executive expectations.
The report states that CIO success in 2026 will likely depend on disciplined value delivery, stronger data governance, proactive risk management and improved financial oversight.
Organizations across the region continue to operate in a complex environment shaped by evolving data governance standards, sector-specific compliance requirements and rising cybersecurity risks.
Many organizations are still struggling to scale AI initiatives effectively. Fragmented risk governance, unclear data ownership and limited financial transparency remain key barriers to achieving returns on digital investments, the report finds.
“The expectation across APAC has shifted,” said George Khreish, managing partner at Info-Tech Research Group in the region. “CIOs are no longer being asked whether they are investing in AI, but whether that investment is delivering measurable value for the business.”
Khreish said aligning financial discipline, risk management and AI strategy will be critical to maintaining executive confidence.
Five priorities for CIOs
The report identifies five areas expected to shape IT leadership in 2026:
Focus on value streams to maximize AI investments
More than three-quarters of CIOs surveyed expect their organizations to invest in agentic AI by the end of 2026. However, enterprise architecture remains a gap, with leaders rating its importance highly but its effectiveness significantly lower. The report notes that realizing AI value will require changes to operating models and closer alignment across teams, processes and governance.
Prepare for uncertainty with proactive risk management
CIOs identify AI and emerging technologies as the top sources of disruption over the next year, followed by cybersecurity incidents and regulatory change. However, only a small percentage of organizations report shared accountability for governance, risk and compliance. Higher-maturity organizations are more likely to have integrated risk management practices than their lower-maturity peers.
Strengthen data accountability among domain experts
Data governance represents the largest capability gap identified in the report. While many organizations are investing in data management tools, governance maturity continues to lag. The report highlights federated data models that assign accountability to domain experts while maintaining centralized standards.
Address evolving cybersecurity threats
AI-driven threats are increasing in both speed and sophistication. Security remains one of the most common areas for AI investment, and organizations using AI in cybersecurity report greater confidence in detecting and responding to threats. The report notes that automation should be paired with governance and human oversight.
Improve financial management and transparency
The report identifies a gap between CIO expectations and those of other executives regarding IT budget growth. It emphasizes the need for stronger financial management practices, including cost transparency and value-based funding models, to support digital and AI initiatives.