Avnet Survey: China Leads AI Product Design Boom, Global Optimism Surges

Global study finds engineers worldwide, including those in China and Japan unsure of where AI will make the most impact – because they see its potential everywhere

SINGAPORE, March 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Engineers are looking at the opportunity for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in product development with cautious optimism as many are still assessing in which areas of their work AI will have the greatest impact. This is according to Avnet's (Nasdaq: AVT ) fourth annual Avnet Insights survey, which has been keeping a pulse on how engineers are responding to the market – and looking ahead – since 2021.

According to the study, engineers are beginning to feel more optimistic overall – 75% of engineers believe market conditions for their design products are improving. Furthermore, half (49%) anticipate that economic and market conditions in the next year will facilitate their product design and development work. In terms of regional optimism, engineers in Mexico expressed the highest level of optimism (87%), followed by China (85%). While Japanese engineers also expressed optimism, their level (49%) was notably lower than their global counterparts.

Avnet Insights is an annual survey of engineers. The online survey gathered insights from 1,204 engineering professionals worldwide, including the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, and Japan, between October 31 and November 15, 2024. APAC respondents comprised 34% of the total surveyed engineers.

 AI technology is poised to have an impact… everywhere.

Avnet Insights focused on a key technology that may be impacting the year to come – AI. The survey revealed that AI is rapidly transforming product design, with 42% of engineers globally already integrating it. Chinese engineers are leading the charge, with nearly two-thirds (66%) embracing AI in their designs, significantly ahead of the US at 46.5%.

Avnet asked engineers where emerging AI technology may have the biggest impact among 14 areas, from AI-driven simulation and testing to hardware design tools and software code generation. Respondents could not identify a single leading area of opportunity – indicating that, in fact, the opportunity may lay across the board.

"The breadth of AI's potential impact across all aspects of product development is truly remarkable," stated Tan Aik Hoon, Regional President of Avnet, South Asia & Korea. "Our survey results clearly demonstrate this, with engineers identifying a wide range of areas where AI can significantly improve their work, from accelerating design cycles and enhancing product performance to creating entirely new possibilities."

Looking specifically at product development, nearly all (96%) engineers agree that AI will be somewhat-to-extremely likely to impact key product development functions, including: increasing automation of design tasks, enabling more personalized and customized designs, improving predictive capabilities for market needs, and reducing the overall time for product development cycles. 

Addressing challenges with added expertise.

Avnet found the top challenges engineers expect when considering integrating AI into their products include security and privacy concerns (37%) and data quality issues (31%). For about a quarter of engineers, integration with existing tools (25%) and high costs (24%) also are top-of-mind. In APAC markets, security and privacy concerns, along with data quality issues, are also within the top 3 challenges for engineers in both China and Japan, aligning with global trends. Notably, among the top three challenges, Chinese engineers also identified sustainability as a key concern, while Japanese engineers emphasized the need for increased performance.

"The rapid advancement of AI presents both exciting opportunities and unique challenges for the region," stated Tan. "We are seeing engineers across the region grapple with concerns such as data quality issues, and security and privacy concerns, while also prioritizing factors like sustainability and increased performance, as highlighted by our survey findings. At Avnet, we have a long history of successfully navigating complex technological landscapes. We will leverage our deep expertise and extensive network to bring together leading suppliers, innovative customers, and a diverse ecosystem of partners to address these challenges and unlock the full potential of AI in Asia Pacific."

Engineers also expect certain skills will help them capitalize on the immediate opportunity, Avnet found. The top skills engineers feel are most necessary to use AI effectively in product design include: data analysis and interpretation (16%), AI model optimization (16%), and problem-solving and critical thinking (16%). This aligns with the findings in Japan, where data analysis and interpretation (23%) and AI model optimization (23%) are even more highly prioritized by engineers. In China, however, problem-solving and critical thinking (20%) take center stage, followed closely by proficiency in digital design tools (19%) and an understanding data needs (13%).

"By addressing the challenges identified in our survey, such as data security, privacy, and the need for skilled talent, and by fostering a collaborative ecosystem that leverages the unique strengths of each market across Asia Pacific, we can unlock the full potential of AI to drive economic growth and improve lives across the region. Avnet is committed to playing a crucial role in this journey by providing our customers with the necessary tools, technologies, and expertise to succeed in this exciting new era of AI-powered innovation. Together with our partners, we will empower engineers across the region to overcome these challenges and harness the transformative power of AI for the benefit of all," Tan concluded.

The Avnet Insights 2025 whitepaper with the full details is available here.

About Avnet

As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet has served customers' evolving needs for more than a century. We support customers at each stage of a product's lifecycle, from idea to design and from prototype to production. Our unique position at the center of the technology value chain enables us to accelerate the design and supply stages of product development so customers can realize revenue faster. Decade after decade, Avnet helps its customers and suppliers around the world realize the transformative possibilities of technology. Learn more about Avnet at www.avnet.com.

Avnet Asia Media Contact

Seraphina Wee
Corporate Communications and PR Manager
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