Executives tread carefully on generative AI adoption

Corporate leaders across Asia and beyond are cautious in their embrace of generative AI, balancing excitement with responsibility.

72% of executives are deliberately slowing down investments in generative AI, citing societal and ethical concerns.,Only 27% say their organisations are ready to scale the technology, but most see it as a revenue driver rather than a cost-cutting tool.,Corporate culture and leadership will be decisive in shaping how AI becomes embedded in business practice.

The slow acceleration of AI in the boardroom

Executives are rarely accused of being timid, but when it comes to generative AI adoption, the brakes are firmly applied. According to Accenture’s 2024 business pulse survey of 3,400 global C-suite leaders, 72% are deliberately exercising restraint in their AI investments. The reason is not simply budgets or operational bottlenecks. Instead, societal pressures to use AI responsibly, coupled with concerns around regulation, accuracy and early-stage return on investment, are forcing a more cautious hand.

Yet the paradox is clear. As with any transformative technology, hesitation carries its own risks. Fail to keep pace with competitors and an organisation may soon find itself on the outside looking in. The survey highlights that many executives are cautiously exploring generative AI’s potential — but doing so through the prism of corporate culture.

Privacy or Protection?

The privacy debate will define these glasses. Recording with a smartphone is obvious; recording with glasses is not. Yes, Meta has included a small light to signal when filming, but as critics note, that light can easily be obscured. Asking someone to put their phone away is normal; asking them to remove prescription or sun glasses is a more awkward request.

Yet there is a flipside. For runners, solo travellers or marginalised groups, the ability to discreetly record interactions could be empowering. At mass protests, such as those seen in Nepal and Hong Kong, footage captured from a participant’s viewpoint could reshape narratives and accountability. Safety and surveillance, empowerment and intrusion — these will be in constant tension.

Regulation: a double-edged sword

Interestingly, 71% of leaders view emerging technology policies and regulations not as burdens but as positives. Guardrails, it seems, are increasingly welcome. They provide clarity, reassurance, and a common framework against which to plan. For Asian markets, where data governance is already a central business issue, this sentiment carries weight. Singapore’s AI governance toolkit and Japan’s ethical AI guidelines are frequently cited as helping create a stable environment for innovation.

Why culture decides the winners

The survey underscores an important point: culture, not code, will determine success. In organisations with people-first values, AI is positioned as an enabler rather than a replacement.

Keith Farley, senior vice president at insurer Aflac, frames the issue neatly:

“We only employ AI in ways that ensure our customers’ best interests are protected. For example, we are comfortable with AI making simple claims approval decisions, but not complex ones. When it comes to making complicated assessments about an individual’s health plan and whether a health event is covered, a human always makes the final decision.” Keith Farley, Senior Vice President, Aflac

“We only employ AI in ways that ensure our customers’ best interests are protected. For example, we are comfortable with AI making simple claims approval decisions, but not complex ones. When it comes to making complicated assessments about an individual’s health plan and whether a health event is covered, a human always makes the final decision.” Keith Farley, Senior Vice President, Aflac

Farley’s perspective reflects the human reality of insurance: products that touch people at their most vulnerable moments. For Aflac, AI supports efficiency, but empathy remains human terrain. “We have to remember that the first word in AI is artificial,” he reminds, “and when you are going through a difficult time, sometimes you want something authentic.”

This sentiment resonates across industries in Asia, where family-run businesses and people-centric service models still dominate. Leaders who treat AI as a tool to amplify human judgement, rather than override it, may find employees and customers far more willing to trust its role.

Preparedness gap

Despite the optimism, readiness lags behind. Just 27% of executives say their organisations are prepared to scale generative AI. Nearly half, 44%, predict it will take six months or more to reach that point. For many, the foundations, from clean data pipelines to internal training remain under construction.

Nevertheless, optimism outweighs fear. A striking 76% see generative AI more as an opportunity than a threat, with revenue growth cited as the primary upside rather than cost-cutting. That orientation matters: when AI is framed as a growth lever, investment tends to be more strategic, not simply tactical.

Experimenting with responsibility

For some, experimentation has already begun. David Higginson, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, encourages broad participation:

“Technologies like GPT are so accessible to everyone. We strongly encourage all staff to use it in a safe and secure way and make their own determination of the value and opportunities for future use.” David Higginson, EVP & Chief Innovation Officer, Phoenix Children’s

“Technologies like GPT are so accessible to everyone. We strongly encourage all staff to use it in a safe and secure way and make their own determination of the value and opportunities for future use.” David Higginson, EVP & Chief Innovation Officer, Phoenix Children’s

Phoenix Children’s applies a pragmatic test: asking end-users to imagine what 90% AI accuracy would mean in their daily workflow. This grounds innovation in operational reality and avoids both overhype and underuse. It is a model that other Asian health systems — from India’s private hospitals to Singapore’s public clinics are beginning to mirror.

Autonomous agents on the horizon

Looking further out, executives see generative AI reshaping organisational architecture. Nearly half (48%) expect chatbots to drive transformational change over the next three years. Another 45% foresee AI agents collaborating with one another to perform organisational tasks, and 40% feel ready to integrate autonomous agents into workflows. This vision remains aspirational today, but it is not hard to imagine in Asia’s high-growth sectors. From financial services in Hong Kong to logistics hubs in Vietnam, agent-based automation could dramatically reconfigure customer service, supply chains, and even management structures. We also explored how AI agents will break passkeys recently.

The leadership challenge

If there is one thread running through the survey, it is this: leaders must set the tone. The adoption of generative AI is not simply a matter of procurement or software integration. It is about defining ethical boundaries, shaping culture, and maintaining trust. Those who view AI as a shortcut will find it neither fast nor sustainable. Those who weave it into strategy with responsibility may well unlock its promise.

The question, then, is not whether Asia’s executives should step on the accelerator. It is whether they can steer with enough care to stay on the road.