For the past two years, technology teams across the world have been heads-down on early-stage AI experiments, mostly focused on GenerativeAI (GenAI). Now, a growing number are turning their attention to AI agents, signalling the start of what could be an agentic wave of innovation and efficiency that could last for many years
With corporate investments in this area, it’s entirely conceivable that AI agents will eventually have a place in almost every business, echoing Bill Gates’ original vision of a ‘PC on every desk and in every home’.
Just as that shift transformed productivity, agentic AI promises to redefine how individuals and organisations work by automating tasks, streamlining decisions, and acting independently to drive outcomes.
The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is already ahead of the curve. According to Microsoft, more than half of business leaders in the region are using AI agents to fully automate business processes, which is above the global average. This momentum is only expected to grow with IDC predicting that seven out of 10 APAC organisations expect agentic AI to disrupt their business models within the next 18 months.
But here’s the reality: no matter how advanced the agent, success hinges on a far more practical question – does your organisation have the right data, in the right place, at the right time?
AI agents can provide greater speed, scalability and accuracy
Unlike traditional automation, AI agents are designed to operate with a higher degree of autonomy. They do not wait for prompts. They act proactively. Whether it’s a digital assistant resolving a billing issue or AI monitoring network performance and escalating threats, AI agents are built to handle multi-step tasks with context and logic.
These autonomous agents can perceive, reason and act with increasing independence, unlocking new levels of automation and intelligence. That means they’re not just following instructions. They’re analysing data, making decisions and taking actions in real time, often without human intervention. For businesses, this means greater speed, scalability and accuracy across operations.
The opportunity for Agentic AI in APAC
In APAC, the potential impact of AI agents is enormous. The region is home to fast-growing digital economies, cloud-first enterprises and a clear appetite for innovation. Many organisations are eager to leapfrog legacy systems and address long-standing challenges like workforce shortages, service bottlenecks and cost inefficiencies.
AI agents offer a compelling path forward. From logistics to telecoms and finance, they promise faster, smarter and more scalable operations. But with that promise comes pressure.
To trust agents with meaningful decision-making, organisations need strong data foundations. Yet many APAC businesses still grapple with siloed systems, inconsistent data standards and limited real-time access. Informatica’s recent CDO Insights study reveals that the majority of data leaders the region say they struggle to demonstrate the business value of their GenAI efforts, driven largely by persistent challenges around data quality, data privacy and protection and AI ethics.
Without a clean, connected, and governed data ecosystem, even the most advanced agent can misfire, leading to errors, poor decisions or compliance risks.
- Richard Scott, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Informatica
Moving from ‘tech-first’ to ‘data-first’
For AI agents to be effective, organisations must shift their focus from the technology itself to the data that powers it. This means breaking down data siloes so agents can access real-time information across the enterprise, improving data quality before it impacts outcomes, and automating complex data workflows across hybrid environments. It also requires strong governance frameworks that ensure the use of AI within the organisation remains ethical and compliant, without sacrificing the agility businesses need to move fast.
This shift from a “tech-first” to a “data-first” mindset is critical. Most of the limitations businesses encounter with AI aren’t due to the sophistication of the models—they stem from data that’s fragmented, outdated or unreliable.
To unlock the full potential of agentic AI, organisations must also democratise data access, enabling business users to interact with data through intuitive, conversational interfaces.
Navigating the agentic AI wave is not a solo endeavour. Success will rely on strong collaboration between enterprises, data leaders and AI solution providers, because AI agents are only as good as the data that powers them.
The future of AI agents in APAC is promising, but it won’t be defined by who adopts the technology first. It will be defined by who prepares their data infrastructure to support it. Agentic AI has the potential to unlock real-time, intelligent decision-making at scale. But to turn that potential into performance, businesses need to lay the right data foundations now—so their agents can act with clarity, context and confidence.
Richard Scott is Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Informatica
