ORGANIZATIONS are moving beyond mere experimentation and are increasingly focused on maximizing the impact of their AI investments. According to the “Asia-Pacific (APAC) AI Outlook 2025,” commissioned by IBM, more than half (54 percent) of businesses in the region now anticipate that AI will deliver long-term benefits, particularly in areas such as innovation and revenue generation.
In a hybrid press conference last week, Aileen Judan-Jiao, IBM Philippines President and CEO told the media that a key factor in this transition is the development of cost-effective AI solutions that allow for the use of custom-built open-source models and seamless integrations among multiple vendors. Joining her at the event is Jong Torres, Chief Technology Officer, IBM Philippines and Nathaniel Marquez, President & CEO, eBiZolution, Inc.
“Enterprises used to be wary about AI and its unknown effects to business. But seeing the progress of generative AI, which was initially seen only good for short-term wins, has evolved into a more nuanced understanding of AI’s potential,” Jiao commented adding that organizations are shifting their focus from low-risk, non-core use cases to deploying generative AI in core business functions to gain competitive advantages and improve return on investment (ROI).
The report predicted that in 2025, the primary focus of AI investments for APAC organizations will be on enhancing customer experience, back-office business process automation, and sales automation along with customer lifecycle management. Use cases presented for AI include eBiZolution Inc. and PhilRice.
eBiZolution Inc. integrates AI across its business units to enhance its solutions and value-added services. Nathaniel Marquez explained that the key initiatives include an Exposure Management System for proactive incident detection through continuous attack surface analysis, Intelligent Video Analytics for real-time intelligence like license plate and facial recognition, and a Talent Optimization Platform built on watsonx to intelligently qualify personnel for private and government bids, streamlining workforce allocation and boosting efficiency.
Malaya Business Insight asked if the use of IBM’s quantum computing, given its neural strength and computing speed, will increase businesses adaption to AI. She replied that at the moment enterprises are more interested in leveraging AI to enhance human experiences and capabilities. She said that a significant development is the emergence of smaller specialized open-source models as powerful alternatives for various artificial intelligence applications. These purpose-built models are increasingly in demand, particularly those designed for local languages and nuanced regional contexts.
The report also suggests that “Rightsizing AI” models require significantly less training data and produce a smaller carbon footprint compared to large language models that have dominated discussions thus far.
Wrapping up the press con was the discussion of the “Human-Centric AI” approach aims to empower employees by augmenting their roles, automating routine tasks, and unlocking new opportunities for creativity and innovation. By prioritizing empathetic design in their AI solutions, organizations can foster stronger customer relationships and brand loyalty. Jiao stressed that progress should be premised on the idea that AI “enhances rather than replaces humans, with both working together towards growth.”
