As 2026 begins, my recent conversations with Chief Information Officers across Southeast Asia provided me with a grounded view of how digital transformation is evolving. While their perspectives differ in nuance, they converge on several defining shifts: the maturation of artificial intelligence, the emergence of autonomous systems, a renewed focus on data governance, and a reconfiguration of work. These changes signal not only technological advancement but a rethinking of how Southeast Asia organizations intend to compete and create value in an increasingly automated economy.

For our CIOs, the year ahead represents a decisive moment as AI moves beyond pilots and hype cycles. Organizations are expected to judge AI by measurable business outcomes rather than conceptual promise. AI capabilities will become standard features embedded across applications and infrastructure, fundamental rather than differentiating. The real challenge is no longer acquiring AI technology but operationalizing it in ways that align with strategic priorities.

Among the most transformative developments is the rise of agentic AI – autonomous agents capable of performing tasks and interacting across systems. CIOs anticipate that organizations will soon manage not a single AI system but networks of agents, each with distinct logic and behaviour. This shift ushers in a new strategic focus, agentic AI orchestration. Organizations will need platforms that coordinate multiple agents, enforce governance, manage digital identity, and ensure trust across heterogeneous technology environments. As AI ecosystems grow more complex, the CIO’s role evolves from integrator to orchestrator who directs a diverse array of intelligent systems.

As AI becomes more central to operations, data governance emerges as a critical enabler. Technology leaders expect 2026 to expose the limits of weak data foundations. Data quality, lineage, access controls, and regulatory compliance determine whether AI initiatives deliver value. Organizations that have accumulated “data debt” will be unable to scale, while those that invest early will move with greater speed and confidence.

Automation in physical environments is also set to accelerate as CIOs expect robotics to expand across healthcare, emergency services, retail, and food and beverage sectors. Robotics will shift from specialised deployments to routine service delivery, supporting productivity goals, standardizing quality, and addressing persistent labour constraints.

Looking ahead, our region’s CIOs point to the early signals of quantum computing’s relevance. While still emerging, quantum technologies are expected to gain visibility through evolving products and research. In my view, for Southeast Asia organizations, the priority is not immediate adoption but proactive monitoring, particularly in cybersecurity and long-term data protection, without undertaking premature architectural shifts.

Perhaps the most provocative prediction concerns the nature of work. As specialised AI agents take on increasingly complex task chains, one CIO anticipates the rise of “cognitive supply chains” in which work is executed largely autonomously. Traditional job roles may fragment into task-based models, pushing individuals to redefine their contributions. Workplace identity could shift from static roles to dynamic capabilities, a broader evolution in how people create value in an AI-native economy.

One CIOs spotlight the changing nature of software development where natural-language-driven “vibe coding” is expected to mature, enabling non-technical teams to extend digital capabilities more intuitively. This trend will not diminish the relevance of enterprise software as both approaches will coexist to support different organizational needs.

CIO ASEAN Editorial final take:

Collectively, these perspectives shared by Southeast Asia’s CIO community point to Southeast Asia preparing for a structurally different digital future, defined by embedded AI, scaled autonomous systems, and disciplined data practices. The opportunity is substantial, but so is the responsibility placed on technology leaders.

As 2026 continue to unfold, the defining question will not simply be who uses AI, but who governs it effectively, integrates it responsibly, and shapes its trajectory to strengthen long-term enterprise resilience. Enjoy reading these top predictions for 2026 by our region’s most influential CIOs who are also our CIO100 ASEAN & Hong Kong Award 2025 winners:

Ee Kiam Keong Deputy Chief Executive (Policy & Development) concurrent Chief Information Officer InfoComm Technology Division Gambling Regulatory Authority Singapore   Prediction 1 AI continue to lead its edge esp. Agentic AI would be getting more popular and used, and AI Governance in terms AI risks and ethnics would get more focused   Prediction 2 Quantum Computing related products should start to evolve and more apparent.   Prediction 3 Deployment of robotic applications would be widened esp. in medical, emergency response and casual activities such retail, and food and beverage etc.

Ng Yee Pern, Chief Technology Officer Far East Organization   Prediction 4 AI deployments will start to mature, as enterprises confront the disconnect between the inflated promises of AI vendors and the actual value delivered.   Prediction 5 Vibe coding will mature and grow in adoption, but enterprise software is not going away. There is plenty of room for both to co-exist.

Athikom Kanchanavibhu Executive Vice President, Digital & Technology Transformation & Chief Information Security Officer Mitr Phol Group   Prediction 6 The Next Vendor Battleground: Agentic AI Orchestration By 2026, AI will no longer be a differentiator, it will be a default feature, embedded as standard equipment across modern digital products. As every vendor develops its own Agentic AI, enterprises will manage not one AI, but an orchestra of autonomous agents, each optimized for its own ecosystem.   The new battleground will be Agentic AI Orchestration where platforms can coordinate, govern, and securely connect agentic AIs across vendors and domains. 2026 won’t be about smarter agents, but about who can conduct the symphony best-safely, at scale, and across boundaries.   Prediction 7 Enterprise AI Grows Up: Data Governance Takes Center Stage 2026 will mark the transition from AI pilots to AI in production. While out-of-the-box AI will become common, true competitive advantage will come from applying AI to enterprise-specific data and context. Many organizations will face a sobering realization: AI is only as good as the data it is trusted with.   As AI moves into core business processes, data governance, management, and security will become non-negotiable foundations. Data quality, access control, privacy, and compliance will determine whether AI scales or stalls. In essence, 2026 will be the year enterprises learn that governing data well is the quiet superpower behind successful AI.

Jackson Ng Chief Technology Officer and Head of Fintech Azimut Group   Prediction 8 In 2026, organizations will see AI seeking power while humans search for purpose. Cognitive supply chains of specialized AI agents will execute work autonomously, forcing individuals to redefine identity at work, in service, and in society. Roles will disintegrate, giving way to a task-based, AI-native economy