Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving beyond experimentation and becoming a core part of business operations, digital services and personal productivity. Speaking at AIBC Asia 2026, Ryan Foo, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Sonzai Labs, discussed how AI agents, enterprise adoption and Asia’s growing AI ecosystem are shaping the next phase of technological development.
His comments come at a time when AI adoption is accelerating worldwide. According to McKinsey’s State of AI 2025 report, 88 per cent of organisations now use AI in at least one business function, up from 78 per cent a year earlier. The report also found that 62 per cent of organisations are already experimenting with AI agents, highlighting the growing role of intelligent systems in business operations.
Many startups now describe themselves as AI-first businesses. However, Foo said the shift towards AI is far deeper than branding.
“I think it is a genuine change,” he said. “AI is a very huge shift in society. Like the biggest kind of revolution for a long time.”
Foo said businesses must understand where AI can create value by supporting tasks that can be automated while allowing humans to focus on areas that require judgement, creativity and decision-making.
Industry research reflects that momentum. McKinsey found that while AI adoption is now widespread, many organisations are still working to scale their AI initiatives beyond pilot projects and experimentation.
AI agents were one of the major topics discussed during the event. Foo highlighted the rise of personal AI agents that can learn, retain information and evolve alongside users.
“There are real movements,” he said. “People want to be a part of this movement where they have their personal agents that can actually learn and grow with them over time.”
He pointed to growing developer communities focused on building AI agents that can support users over extended periods rather than responding to one-off requests.
The trend is also visible across businesses. McKinsey reported that nearly two-thirds of organisations are already exploring or testing AI agents, making them one of the fastest-growing areas of enterprise AI development.
Beyond consumer applications, Foo highlighted the growing demand for AI solutions in enterprise environments.
“It’s working with large enterprises that have their workflows and trying to understand what their workflows are and where agents can actually improve what they’re doing,” he said.
According to Foo, successful deployment requires customised infrastructure, memory systems and workflows that align with an organisation’s existing operations.
Recent data suggests businesses are beginning to see measurable benefits from these investments. PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that industries most exposed to AI recorded revenue-per-employee growth of 27 per cent, compared with 9 per cent in industries with lower AI exposure. The report described this as a threefold productivity advantage linked to AI adoption.
PwC also found that workers with AI-related skills earned an average wage premium of 56 per cent in 2024 compared with workers in similar roles without those skills.
Foo also discussed how personal AI agents could contribute to a more connected digital ecosystem.
“I wake up, I’m like, what are my priorities? What exercise am I doing? What’s my diet? What’s the work I have to do today?” he said. “All these things are entering into these personal agents.”
He described these systems as a potential “second brain” that can store knowledge, organise information and help users manage different aspects of their lives through a single AI-powered interface.
Foo said the Asia Pacific region is becoming increasingly important in the global AI landscape. He identified China as one of the world’s leading AI markets due to large investments in foundation models, infrastructure and research.
At the same time, he believes Southeast Asia has significant opportunities in enterprise AI deployment and data-related services.
“I think what APAC can do is that we need to rely on the relationships that we already have and the trust that we already have to build solutions that are really custom,” he said.
Foo added that businesses across the region should work closely with startups and technology providers to identify where AI agents can deliver the greatest value.
As organisations continue to invest in AI technologies, the focus is increasingly shifting from experimentation to implementation. With AI adoption now reaching nearly nine in ten organisations globally, AI agents and enterprise solutions are expected to play a central role in the next stage of digital transformation.
