(Yicai) Dec. 5 -- The value of artificial intelligence in Asia has evolved from technology trials into a need for strategic precision, organizational adaptability, and depth of industry integration, according to industry and tech experts from across the Asia-Pacific region.

Asia's practice highlights that realizing the value of AI cannot be separated from specific industry contexts, experts said at the second annual AI Innovation Asia Conference held in Singapore on Dec. 2. Future winners will be organizations that can precisely understand their business core, use AI as a fulcrum for systematic innovation, and deeply integrate into regional and global innovation ecosystems, with the shift ultimately testing not just singular technological capability, but the wisdom and courage of companies' overall evolution, they said.

Many firms find themselves trapped in a dilemma where they invest heavily in AI and launch numerous pilot projects but struggle to generate significant business results, the experts noted, adding that behind this so-called "pilot trap" lies strategic confusion.

Companies often view AI as a solution for improving efficiency, rather than a strategic lever capable of transforming core business processes, the experts pointed out. Real value creation requires a shift in mindset, starting from fundamental business challenges and working backward to define AI's mission, they said, adding that this demands courage to select one or two core value streams for end-to-end reconstruction.

AI is evolving from an add-on feature to the core of products, driving hardware manufacturers' transformation into solution providers.

Feifantai Technology, a smart display equipment manufacturer, is experiencing a qualitative shift in market demand, Fei Mingbang, sales director for the Asia-Pacific region at the Shenzhen-based firm, told Yicai. "We're seeing growing demand for AI integration in products like self-ordering kiosks," which brings a fundamental iteration in product logic from a direct command mode requiring users to touch and select to an intelligent interaction mode enabling natural conversation, Fei said.

Future self-ordering devices will understand colloquial instructions such as "a double espresso with milk foam" and proactively interact to confirm details, Fei noted. "This isn't just adding voice functionality, but a complete product and experience reconstruction from touch to dialogue."

AI's transformation in financial services is equally profound. It is being used not just to automate back-office operations, but to reshape customer experience and risk management paradigms.

Systematic Organizational Rebuilding

A clear strategy requires new organizational capabilities for support. Such a transformation places systematic demands on companies' talent structure, management roles, and even human-machine collaboration boundaries.

Chris Pecaut, director at Olofsson Consulting, which focuses on AI talent recruitment, said to Yicai that AI has completely transformed his work. "Keeping pace with AI development and integrating it into business processes is itself a full-time job," he noted.

When searching for top AI engineers, the latest models and technology developments need to be tracked weekly, Pecaut noted, adding that his platform uses AI to efficiently match talent worldwide.

After AI automates numerous tasks, the core value of humans will increasingly focus on unique creativity, strategic insight, and collaborative spirit, Pecaut said. "Connecting the right talent with the opportunities that need them most has become unprecedentedly important."

Management roles, especially at middle and senior levels, are also being redefined, with middle management needing to shift from daily supervision to strategic decision-making and employee coaching due to AI taking on more foundational work. Executive teams face more thorough functional integration, with unprecedented collaboration between chief human resources officers, chief information officers, and chief technology officers to jointly manage "human-machine hybrid" teams.

The Path of AI in Asia

Asia is the world's most dynamic economic region, providing a rich testing ground for AI integration, with pathways that highlight deep integration with local industrial ecosystems and policy environments. In addition, the young demographics, rapidly rising digitalization levels, and vast domestic markets in Southeast Asia are transforming the region from a technology adopter into an innovation incubator.

Global tech giants' continued investment in Southeast Asia's AI infrastructure reflects their recognition of its strategic potential as an emerging frontier.

China's market presents a more complex picture. While the complete industrial system and diverse scenarios provide fertile ground for rapid tech iteration, its AI development path shows distinct characteristics of ecosystem building and self-reliance.

At the foundational level, a new intelligent computing ecosystem centered on open source is rapidly forming to meet long-term industrial development needs. At the application level, whether in smart manufacturing or fintech, success hinges on a deep understanding of the Chinese market's unique regulatory frameworks, customer habits, and cultural contexts.

The AI era is becoming a new chapter in world history, changing processes, replacing old jobs, and creating new opportunities, according to Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist. This observation is vividly expressed in Asia, Beddoes said.

Editor: Martin Kadiev