IDC forecasts that by 2030, 50% of new economic value generated by digital businesses in Asia/Pacific will come from organisations investing in and scaling their AI capabilities today as enterprises embed autonomy, data intelligence, and responsible governance into strategy to deliver measurable business impact.
This was one of the key messages from IDC’s recent FutureScape 2026 event in Singapore.
As part of FutureScape 2026, IDC will publish more than 60 Asia/Pacific reports including in-depth forecasts for China, Japan, and Korea. Each report explores how technology, AI, and digital transformation are shaping industries and business models through 2030.
“2026 marks the dawn of the Agentic Era,” says Sandra Ng, senior vice-president, IDC Asia/Pacific. “Enterprises across the region are moving beyond experimentation and pilot projects to a future where AI acts with intent, autonomy, and accountability. In this new phase, leadership clarity and responsible scaling are critical. Success is measured by how much more we can achieve when AI becomes our amplifier. Discovery is the journey we must all undertake in this unprecedented era. The best will lead through AI – learning fast and guiding others on this journey of change.”
The event also explored the Customer AI Journey, a framework that helps organisations understand where they are in adopting and scaling AI.
IDC’s FutureScape predictions for 2026 to 2030 guided participants through the key stages of this journey – from assessing AI maturity and identifying high-value use cases to measuring ROI, driving strategic growth, and preparing leadership for the Agentic Future:
Understand your customer’s AI maturity stage: By 2030, 50% of new economic value generated by APJ digital businesses will come from companies investing in and scaling up their AI capabilities today.
Identify and prioritise the most impactful AI use cases: In 2026, 45% of AI-fueled digital use cases in APJ will fail ROI targets due to unclear gains and poor data foundations.
Calculate the AI ROI – move from traditional cost benefit analysis to business value: By 2027, 50% of Asia-based top 1000 (A1000) CIOs will be tasked to create enterprise AI value playbooks to measure AI’s business impact.
Win the AI Era with precision-guided growth: By 2029, 55% of A1000 CEOs lacking a clear AI strategy will face replacement pressure as APJ IT spending grows by 7% to reach $1,123-trillion in 2026.
Step ahead into the agentic future with IDC predictions: By 2028, 60% of A1000 CIO roles will be held by transformational leaders implementing AI-powered business models.
“This year, our theme – “Charting the Agentic Future” – signals a defining shift: from AI as a tool to AI as a catalyst for accelerated outcomes,” says Ng. “As machines take on repetitive work, human capacity rises toward context and imagination. In this new era – AI executes, people interpret and decide; AI predicts, people prioritise and act; AI scales knowledge, people shape purpose and impact. The Agentic Future doesn’t wait for readiness – it rewards motion.”
Beyond its regional outlook, IDC’s global and cross-industry research also revealed several trends that redefine what leadership and innovation will look like in the coming years:
The CEOs AI reckoning: 66% of APJ CEOs believe that AI will offer their organisations a chance to reinvent business models in the next three to five years.
The AI Scale Imperative: By 2027, 45% of AI apps/services will fail to progress beyond PoC, pushing CEOs to launch AI centres of excellence to centralise strategy, governance, and scale AI initiatives.
The Agent Economy: By 2027, 60% of organisations will manage multi-agent experiences that span multiple channels, applications, and suppliers enabling more seamless and context-rich engagement.
Together, these forecasts highlight how the next decade of digital competition will hinge on leadership accountability, ecosystem intelligence, and the ability to transform data into lasting value.