New DLA Piper research reveals rising corporate AI spend and growing risk management complexity across Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland

Companies in China are investing heavily into artificial intelligence (AI), but face rising challenges around vendor dependency, intellectual property exposure and cybersecurity, according to a new survey published today by global law firm DLA Piper.

The firm’s From Algorithm to Advantage survey of 975 business leaders across 16 markets found that Hong Kong companies invested an average of USD214 million in AI in the first half of 2026, roughly 17% above the global average of USD183 million. Chinese Mainland firms reported more moderate investment levels of just over USD100 million.

One clear trend in the survey was a recognition of the shift in AI investment towards Asia, with nearly 70% of respondents in the Chinese Mainland agreeing that capital is increasingly moving towards Asian markets. The survey also showed that Hong Kong is one of the most active AI dealmaking markets globally, with activity focused on licensing, outsourcing and strategic partnerships.

Looking at corporate adoption, the survey showed notable differences between the two markets. Hong Kong companies are taking a more deliberate approach to deployment with only 52% reporting pressure to scale AI pilots, compared with 70% globally. In addition, 80% of Hong Kong respondents described the primary objective of their AI pilots as learning and validation rather than immediate rollout.

Meanwhile, Chinese Mainland firms are moving faster on operational integration and workforce adoption, with 80% reporting that AI has already directly altered specific job roles. Compliance confidence is notably higher in Hong Kong at 87%, versus 79% globally. Chinese Mainland compliance confidence stood at 60%, which is not surprising given that AI governance regulations are well-established there.

Lauren Hurcombe, Partner and Global Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s Technology & Sourcing Group said: “DLA Piper’s new research found that Hong Kong companies plan to invest an average of USD214 million in AI in the first half of 2026. These respondents said their investment was focused on piloting use cases within controlled frameworks. In contrast, we saw companies in the Chinese Mainland moving faster towards more operational, enterprise-wide deployment.”

Managing AI risks and workforce adoption

Despite strong investment, both markets face specific vulnerabilities across the AI value chain. Vendor dependence, intellectual property exposure and cybersecurity breaches were identified as key challenges across both markets. In Hong Kong, 77% of respondents reported exposure to dependency risks within the AI value chain (versus 67% globally), while IP and copyright risk ranked as a strategic concern.

In the Chinese Mainland, risk concerns were broader and less IP-led, with cybersecurity (50%) and data integrity (43%) ranking highest. Across both markets, cyber risk was high, with 63% of Hong Kong respondents having experienced an AI-linked cybersecurity breach (versus 52% globally), while 50% of Mainland enterprises reported attacks in the past year.

Hong Kong respondents were among the most pro-AI globally, with 79% expressing a positive attitude (vs 74% globally) and 44% strongly agreeing they were pro-AI (vs 31% globally).

In the Chinese mainland, 83% of respondents reported that their organisations were explicitly “pro-AI”, the highest level globally. In addition, just 8% report that their organisations lack a clear stance on AI adoption or leave employees to manage tools independently, compared with 9% in Hong Kong and 15% globally, placing both markets among the most clearly defined in terms of organisational direction.

Carolyn Bigg, Partner and Global Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s Data, Privacy & Cybersecurity Group said: “As AI adoption accelerates, companies in both the Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland markets are confronting new, measurable risks. In Hong Kong, 63% of respondents have experienced a cybersecurity breach linked to AI, 11% above the global average, while in the Chinese Mainland companies remain focused on cybersecurity disruption and data integrity.”