APAC AI Scaling: Challenges & Opportunities for Agentic AI

The Asia Pacific region faces unique challenges in scaling agentic AI, according to Shashir Shetty from NTT DATA. Regulatory diversity, infrastructure, and market maturity are key hurdles. Here's the thing: unlike traditional AI, agentic AI brings extra complexity with governance, autonomy, and accountability. The region's fragmented regulatory landscape means different data residency laws and AI governance frameworks in each market. What's interesting is that data sovereignty and infrastructure constraints are also major concerns. Research shows 94% of organizations in APAC view private or sovereign AI as important, and 93% are considering relocating AI infrastructure due to geopolitical and supply chain issues. This highlights the growing importance of data control and resilience in AI decisions. The bottom line is that scaling AI in APAC requires balancing innovation, compliance, and control across many diverse markets, which impacts how organizations can leverage this technology.