What To Know
- A survey by Capgemini Research Institute, conducted in April 2025 across 1,500 executives in 14 countries including Singapore, estimates that agentic AI could contribute a staggering US $450 billion in economic value by 2028.
- As firms drown in scale and risk, agentic systems are being wielded to anticipate failures, optimize storage, and even tackle cybersecurity threats—moving from insight to autonomous action, as Hardy puts it.
Thailand AI News: High Expectations Meet Cautious Reality
A dramatic tension is emerging in the Southeast Asian tech landscape: agentic AI—self-driving, autonomous artificial intelligence—is being hailed as the next frontier in AI innovation, yet at the same time, many major players remain hesitant to scale it effectively. A survey by Capgemini Research Institute, conducted in April 2025 across 1,500 executives in 14 countries including Singapore, estimates that agentic AI could contribute a staggering US $450 billion in economic value by 2028. Yet only about 2% of businesses have actually scaled the tech. What’s more, executives clearly emphasize the need for human involvement; nearly three-quarters agree that human-in-the-loop oversight is worth the investment, and nine in ten see oversight as cost-neutral or even beneficial. The message is unmistakable: autonomy without oversight is not trusted.
Agentic AI is generating a lot of interest in Asia but the adoption rate is still low
Image Credit: AI-Generated
Breaking Down the Promise
In real-world terms, some firms have already tested agentic AI: personal shopping assistants that search, describe, and answer queries—but stop just shy of payments for security reasons. This Thailand AI News report spotlights how these tools could eventually make traditional e-commerce websites feel obsolete for some users, especially those frustrated by clunky interfaces.
Hitachi Vantara’s AI CTO, Jason Hardy, clarifies what really makes agentic AI different from chatty generative models: “Agentic AI is software that can decide, act, and refine its strategy on its own,” he explains. It’s about delivering outcomes—not just outputs. This feature is fueling adoption in areas mired in complexity: from IT optimization to compliance automation. As firms drown in scale and risk, agentic systems are being wielded to anticipate failures, optimize storage, and even tackle cybersecurity threats—moving from insight to autonomous action, as Hardy puts it.
Where Southeast Asia Stands Today
For businesses in Southeast Asia, the key to adoption begins with strong data governance. Hardy insists that without properly classified, secured, and governed data—plus infrastructure capable of orchestrating multiple AI agents and dynamic memory—agentic AI will remain a pilot, not a revolution. So far, the most tangible benefits are in IT operations: agentic systems are already automating data classification, predictive maintenance, and threat response—delivering time savings and increased system resilience.
Reconfiguring Work and Workforce
As businesses adopt these systems, the human role is changing, shifting away from repetitive execution and toward oversight and orchestration. Leaders must establish ethical boundaries and governance skills; HR must design for a hybrid workforce comfortable auditing AI. The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, AI could create 11 million jobs in Southeast Asia, while displacing 9 million, disproportionately impacting women and Gen Z. This is why inclusive, rapid reskilling—such as Microsoft’s US $1.7 billion investment in Indonesia and training programs in Malaysia—is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Looking Ahead at Unfolding Transformation
Hardy foresees that many leaders still underestimate how rapidly agentic AI will reshape enterprise IT and beyond. While IDC projects a US $120 billion boost to ASEAN-6 GDP by 2027, Hardy believes the reality could be far more dramatic. With over 57 % of jobs in Indonesia potentially augmented or disrupted by AI, transformation is poised to sweep through structures, value chains, and risk management faster than many expect.
In Southeast Asia, agentic AI is not a distant dream—it’s already seeping into workflows, governance models, and economic forecasts. The real question is whether businesses can harness its power responsibly, blending autonomy with accountability, as machines become strategic partners rather than passive tools.
Wrapping up: agentic AI promises to revolutionise efficiency, resilience, and economic potential—but only if oversight, infrastructure, and human-centred governance keep pace.
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