August 14, 2025
5 min read
TechNode Global Staff
Survey: 86 Percent of Southeast Asian Organizations to Adopt AI Agents Within Next 12 Months
A recent survey reveals that 86 percent of Southeast Asian (SEA) organizations will implement artificial intelligence (AI) agents within the next 12 months. The findings come from the IDC InfoBrief titled “Agentic Automation: Unlocking Seamless Orchestration for the Modern Enterprise,” commissioned by UiPath.Growing Adoption of Agentic AI in SEA
According to the survey, about 42 percent of organizations in SEA have already deployed agentic AI, with nearly 44 percent planning to adopt the technology soon. This marks a significant shift from AI experimentation to large-scale implementation, positioning 2025 as a pivotal year for AI integration across the region.Drivers Behind AI Adoption
Businesses in SEA are motivated to adopt AI agents to:- Improve employee productivity
- Accelerate new product development
- Enhance product and service quality The survey highlights that 75 percent of organizations report AI agents support better decision-making, while 72 percent say these technologies increase productivity.
- Customer support automation (58%)
- Risk management and fraud detection (58%)
- Productivity enhancement (56%)
- AI governance and risk management (22%)
- Shortage of skilled professionals (18%)
- High infrastructure costs (18%) Concerns specific to agentic AI include:
- Data privacy breaches (51%)
- Security vulnerabilities from autonomous actions (48%)
- Unintended consequences from complex interactions (47%) Implementation hurdles also involve data security concerns (57%), high costs (48%), and integration with existing systems (42%).
- Build transparent human-agent ecosystems
- Implement automation with robust governance frameworks
- Ensure transparent decision-making and strict compliance with data security and privacy standards Technology leaders must prioritize platforms that scale with organizational needs and integrate seamlessly with existing systems. To foster responsible AI deployment, SEA countries should:
- Strengthen governance frameworks with clear policies and ethical guidelines
- Address data security and compliance challenges
- Invest in upskilling programs to mitigate talent shortages
- Promote public-private partnerships to reduce infrastructure costs
- AI Agents: The Future of Business Automation
- Understanding Cryptocurrency Markets
- Navigating the AI Revolution in Finance
Key Industries and Use Cases
The financial services, manufacturing, retail, and wholesale sectors lead in agentic AI adoption. The most promising use cases for 2025 include:Challenges in AI Implementation
Despite enthusiasm, SEA organizations face challenges such as:The Role of Agentic Automation
Agentic automation combines agentic AI with robotic process automation (RPA) to enable autonomous AI agents to handle complex tasks within enterprise workflows. This integration unlocks new levels of efficiency, scalability, and innovation. Businesses are increasingly leveraging agentic orchestration to dynamically manage workflows and scale automation across organizations.Expert Insights
“Agentic automation is rapidly redefining business operations across Southeast Asia. While enterprises embrace AI agents to streamline workflows and autonomously execute complex processes, trust and security remain barriers to widespread implementation,” said DebDeep Sengupta, Area Vice President, South Asia, UiPath.Deepika Giri, Associate Vice President, AI Research IDC Asia/Pacific, added:
“Becoming an AI-fueled business is no longer optional in today’s unpredictable climate. Many leaders see AI’s potential to drive unprecedented productivity, innovation, and growth, which will be key to building resilience against future disruptions.”
Recommendations for SEA Organizations
UiPath emphasizes the need for business leaders to:Originally published at TechNode Global on August 14, 2025.