Some AI work is paying off - but many CIOs just aren't ready for the impact

• Nearly all companies plan to increase AI investments next year
• Hybrid AI is popular for tackling privacy and regulatory concerns
• The biggest priorities for the year ahead include AI PCs and agentic AI

New Lenovo data has claimed we're actually at the stage of widespread AI adoption where nearly half (46%) of proof-of-concepts now already in production, and most (96%) companies planning to increase AI investments even further.

However, barely more than a quarter (27%) have a comprehensive governance framework in place suggesting investments aren't being looked at comprehensively, and this could spell disaster given the potential scale looking forward with some CIOs projecting ROIs of up to 179%.

And it's not just weak governance that could present roadblocks – poor data quality, legacy systems and skills shortages are all threatening to hold companies back from realizing the full benefits of AI.