BUSINESS TECH | IBM study: Philippine CEOs accelerate AI-driven decision-making
The annual survey, conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value in partnership with Oxford Economics, gathered responses from 2,000 CEOs and senior leaders across 33 geographies and 21 industries between February and April 2026.
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Philippine chief executives are showing strong confidence in artificial intelligence, with many now relying on AI to support strategic and operational decisions as businesses shift toward AI-driven operating models.
A new study from IBM found that 80% of Philippine CEOs surveyed are comfortable using AI-generated insights to help make major strategic decisions, exceeding the 64% global average. The study also showed that 73% of Philippine executives believe AI can make tactical and operational decisions faster and more effectively than people, compared with 57% globally.
The annual survey, conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value in partnership with Oxford Economics, gathered responses from 2,000 CEOs and senior leaders across 33 geographies and 21 industries between February and April 2026.
The report said Philippine organizations are increasingly embedding AI into business operations as executives seek faster decision-making and greater operational flexibility.
“Enterprises that succeed will operate AI-first — not as a layer of technology, but as a new operating model,” IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn said in the study’s foreword.
According to the study, 97% of Philippine CEOs surveyed said rapid pivoting is now more important than maintaining long-term approaches, while 93% said market changes are happening faster than their organizations can fully adapt processes and budgets.
The survey also pointed to changing leadership roles as AI adoption expands across enterprises. Nearly all Philippine CEOs surveyed said functional leaders are expected to become technology experts within their domains, while 53% expect human resources leaders to gain influence as companies focus on workforce transformation and reskilling.
Juhi McClelland, managing director of IBM Consulting Asia Pacific, said organizations in the region are moving beyond AI experimentation and integrating the technology into leadership and operations.
“Technology alone, however, won’t deliver impact,” she said. “Real success will depend on how leaders empower their people, redesign roles, evolve processes, and embed AI responsibly across the enterprise.”
The study also found growing concern around governance and accountability. About 83% of Philippine respondents said AI sovereignty is becoming essential to business strategy, while 87% said their organizations are decentralizing decision-making as AI takes on a larger role across the enterprise.
IBM Philippines Country General Manager and Technology Leader Leo Capinpin said many organizations are still struggling to align AI investments with long-term competitive goals.
“AI cannot scale on ambition alone; it demands organizations to fundamentally rethink how they operate,” Capinpin said.
The report showed that 90% of Philippine CEOs believe AI success depends more on employee adoption than on the technology itself. Between 2026 and 2028, respondents expect 31% of employees to require reskilling for different roles, while 55% will need upskilling to improve performance in their current jobs.
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