The Agentic AI Era: Strategies to Win Business Competition

The utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has now shifted from being merely a pilot project to a crucial instrument for winning market competition. In the future, AI is predicted to completely overhaul the way companies operate, make decisions, and fundamentally change their business models. The technology world is now preparing to enter a new wave called the Agentic AI era. IBM Asia Pacific General Manager Hans AT Dekkers explained that while the previous Generative AI wave introduced machines’ ability to create content, the Agentic era is marked by the presence of autonomous AI agents. “These AI agents are capable of executing complex tasks, making independent decisions, and actively collaborating with humans,” Hans said at the AI Leadership Exchange 2026 forum in Jakarta on Thursday (11/6). He also highlighted the gap between companies that only use AI as an efficiency tool and those that make AI the core of their business operations (AI-First). Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Nezar Patria stressed the importance of national technological sovereignty. The government is currently promoting the development of an AI ecosystem through the 5A framework to ensure this technology delivers real impact for organisations in Indonesia. Although technology is advancing rapidly, experts warn that the data foundation remains the main challenge. IBM APAC CTO Jerry Zhu assessed that AI implementation failures often stem from fragmented (siloed) data problems, causing AI to lose context for providing accurate results. Beyond technical issues, the human factor is decisive. BPJS Kesehatan IT Director Setiaji reminded organisations to avoid the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) phenomenon. AI investment must have a clear business objective to yield a real return on investment (ROI). In line with this, Bank BNI IT Director Toto Prasetio emphasised that AI transformation requires a fundamental change in work culture. In the banking sector, AI is seen as a strategic capability towards an autonomous era. However, challenges such as data security and strict regulations mean adoption in this sector must be carried out in a measured manner. On the other hand, Danantara Managing Director of Strategic Technology Initiatives Ricardo Irwan Rei highlighted the importance of Indonesia starting to consider developing independent AI models to achieve long-term digital sovereignty, reflecting on the success of models like DeepSeek in China. The main conclusion from the forum is that victory in the AI competition is not determined by the owner of the latest technology, but by the party most capable of integrating AI into business processes, governance, and daily decision-making. The biggest challenge is no longer just building AI, but building an organisation ready to collaborate with AI.