China Financial Firms Underinvest In AI
Financial firms in mainland China and Hong Kong are spending significantly less on AI than global peers, despite viewing AI as a strategic transformation driver, according to a PwC report based on a survey of 201 professionals and 20 interviews conducted between October 2025 and January 2026. PwC found 61% of firms allocate 10% or less of tech budgets to AI, indicating a 30–40% spending gap; top barriers include data availability (30%), regulatory concerns (20%), and core systems priorities (14%).
Key Points
- 1Report finds 61% of financial firms allocate 10% or less of tech budgets to AI
- 2Highlights a 30–40% AI spending gap versus global peers, limiting transformation scale
- 3Signals practitioners must address data availability, regulatory concerns, and legacy core systems to scale AI
Scoring Rationale
PwC-backed survey reveals a notable regional AI spending shortfall, but limited sample size and shallow detail reduce depth.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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