Databricks’ new Economist Impact report, “Unlocking Enterprise AI: Opportunities and Strategies,” reveals that 74% of ASEAN enterprises train their large language models (LLMs) with enterprise data.
In contrast, 49% of APAC still rely on general-purpose LLMs without contextual enterprise data, which lack the quality, governance, and evaluative capabilities that enterprise-specific data can bring.
“From classic machine learning to generative AI, the business world’s obsession with AI isn’t letting up. But our findings show that, for many organisations, the real value comes when the technology is unleashed on their proprietary data to develop data intelligence,” said Tamzin Booth, editorial director of Economist Impact.
GenAI adoption
The report, based on 1,100 technical executives and technologists from 19 countries, including 100 respondents from ASEAN, revealed that most ASEAN enterprises (91%) use GenAI in at least one function. Still, only 32% believe their GenAI applications are production-ready.
Respondents across the Asia Pacific region cite cost (40%), skills (38%), governance (38%), and quality (33%) as their main hindrances.
Most ASEAN respondents (77%) believe AI is crucial to their long-term goals. However, 37% believe investment across technical and non-technical domains is insufficient.
Moreover, an overwhelming 99% of all ASEAN respondents expect GenAI adoption across both internal and external use cases by 2027.
“This report from Economist Impact showcases why data intelligence is essential and why the winners in each industry will be those who take a holistic approach that encompasses data management, governance, and domain-specific expertise,” said Cecily Ng, vice president and general manager for ASEAN at Databricks.
