In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer an emerging trend — it’s a fundamental shift that is reshaping how organisations operate. For senior leaders across Southeast Asia, the question is not if AI will impact their industries, but how fast they can adapt to stay ahead.
Yet, many companies are still structured for the pre-AI world — hierarchical, rigid and slow to respond to change. The challenge we face as leaders is not just about adopting AI but reframing our organisations to take full advantage of its potential. Those who fail to do so risk inefficiency, stagnation and loss of competitiveness in an AI-driven economy.
The Urgency for Change in Southeast Asia
AI adoption is accelerating across Southeast Asia. Singapore is leading with its National AI Strategy, where AI is integrated into healthcare, finance and urban planning. Indonesian tech firms are embedding AI into e-commerce platforms, optimising supply chains and personalising customer experiences.
Thailand’s financial sector is using AI to enhance fraud detection and customer insights, while Vietnam’s manufacturing industry is using AI for automation and improved efficiency.
These examples highlight a clear trend: AI is transforming industries, but success depends on how well organisations adapt their structures to support AI-driven decision-making, innovation and collaboration.
How Senior Leaders Can Reframe Their Organisations for AI
As I work with executives across industries, I see a recurring challenge — most organisations aren’t structured to extract the full value from AI. Here are four key shifts that can help:
1. Shift from hierarchies to agile structures: AI thrives in fast-moving, data-driven environments, yet many Southeast Asian companies still operate in siloed, top-down structures. Leaders must rethink decision-making processes, empowering teams with real-time AI insights and creating cross-functional collaboration hubs instead of rigid reporting lines.
2. Redefine leadership roles for an AI-augmented workforce: AI isn’t here to replace leaders — it’s here to enhance decision-making. But this requires leaders to evolve from traditional command-and-control models to facilitators of AI-driven insights. The most forward-thinking executives are those who know how to ask the right questions and trust AI-generated data while using human intuition for strategic choices.
3. Invest in AI literacy across all levels: A key reason AI implementations fail is lack of understanding across leadership and teams. AI isn’t just an IT function — it must be embedded into the DNA of the organisation. Companies must prioritise AI literacy programmes for senior management to ensure executives can drive AI strategies with confidence.
4. Build an AI ethics framework for trust and transparency: Southeast Asian businesses must recognise that AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on. Leaders should implement AI governance frameworks that ensure ethical AI use, data privacy and unbiased decision-making. AI-driven businesses will only succeed when employees, customers and regulators trust how AI is used.
Key Takeaways for Senior Leaders
Adaptability is non-negotiable: AI is evolving rapidly. Organisations that cannot pivot will fall behind.
AI is a leadership issue, not just a tech issue: Senior executives must take ownership of AI strategy, not just delegate it to IT teams.
Empower people, not just machines: AI should augment human decision-making, not replace leadership thinking.
Transparency drives success: AI-powered decisions must be explainable and ethical to gain trust from customers and stakeholders.
Are You Ready to Lead in the AI Era?
Southeast Asia is at an inflection point, where AI is redefining industries, creating new opportunities, and forcing organisations to rethink their structures. As senior leaders, we must proactively reframe our organisations, not just to keep pace with AI, but to drive the future of our industries.
The companies that will thrive in this new era aren’t necessarily the biggest or the strongest — but those that are most adaptable, most data-driven, and most visionary in their leadership.
The AI revolution is here. The only question is — will your organisation be ready?
Arinya Talerngsri is Senior Vice President, Local Partner, Managing Director at BTS Thailand (formerly SEAC), part of the BTS Group, a leading global strategy implementation firm. She is passionate about revolutionising education and creating opportunities for Thais and people worldwide. Executives and organisations looking to collaborate or learn more about leadership development, talent development, succession planning and organisational transformation can contact her directly at arinya.talerngsri@bts.com or visit her LinkedIn profile