It’s been one year since the last CIO Playbook, and Lenovo has once again engaged IDC to conduct a study to understand how organizations globally have fared with their AI adoption journeys. The new global 2025 CIO Playbook entitled It’s Time for AI-nomics, confirms AI adoption will continue to climb as organizations devote a greater slice of their IT budgets to the hot technology.

Here are some key AI adoption insights from IDC's research and considerations for Lenovo 360 partners.

AI Investment and Proving ROI

One of the most striking findings is the significant barrier organizations face in adopting AI posed by proving return on investment (ROI). Financial risk and uncertain ROI rank as the greatest barriers to AI adoption. Despite the forecast spending on AI initiatives projected to nearly triple over the next 12 months, 37 percent of management express skepticism about its impact, compared to the nearly 90 percent of IT professionals who believe AI has met their expectations. This disparity highlights a significant divide between the unbound potential of AI and business confidence when it comes to actually adopting it.

GenAI Gains Momentum

IT leaders expect AI to represent nearly 20 percent of tech budgets in 2025. Only 11 percent of enterprises are utilizing GenAI-powered applications, but this figure is expected to grow fourfold within the year. Key areas like IT operations, software development, and marketing departments are poised for rapid transformation and need to balance quick implementation and long-term strategy.

Strong Emphasis on Data Initiatives

Data quality emerges as a critical success factor in why organizations adopt AI. The report highlights that ensuring data sovereignty, compliance, and availability of quality data is paramount. In fact, one-third of respondents indicated plans to prioritize the development of their data management capabilities in the coming year. Poor data quality, IT costs, and integration challenges remain significant hurdles for many enterprises when it comes to AI adoption.

Bridging the Skills Gap

The study reveals that organizations recognize the necessity of skilled partnerships in their AI journeys. The lack of in-house expertise often stymies AI investment despite the urgency to move AI agendas forward. Making access to partners with strong AI capabilities remains one of the most important factors for successful implementation.

For Lenovo 360 partners, these insights present an opportunity to guide enterprises through the complexities of AI adoption. By focusing on data quality, providing clear ROI metrics, and acting as a trusted advisor, you can help enterprise organizations unlock AI's full potential and drive meaningful transformation.

Download the full report to get key insights and takeaways for CIOs to consider for 2025.