CXOInsights by CXOCIETY · 2026-05-29 · 13 min
For ASEAN CIOs in 2026, the AI paradox is clear: budgets are rising, yet financial returns are not. With almost half the region scaling AI beyond pilots, we have hit a " data wall ". The shift to agentic AI has made integration the new control plane. To move from ambition to monetisation, leaders must stop managing data in silos and start activating it in real-time across finance, supply chains, and customer systems. Without a unified data fabric that ensures governance and trust, autonomous agents cannot operate safely at scale. Data activation is no longer an IT project; it is the core strategy for turning AI spend into EBIT. Joining us to clear the cobwebs of this data wall, is Mr David Irecki, chief technology officer for Asia Pacific & Japan at Boomi. David, welcome back to PodChats for FutureCIO. 1. Boomi cites an interesting statistic: 95% of organisations struggle with AI ROI , yet you argue the models are ready. Where are ASEAN CIOs getting stuck - and why are data quality and integration now the real villains, not the AI? (Singaproe report) 2. Beyond lakes and dashboards, what does " data activation " mean in practice?
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