Transforming Asia Pacific's Digital Future: IBM's Vision for Enterprise AI with Hans Dekkers

"At IBM, we really work on two emerging technologies: hybrid cloud and AI for enterprise. These two are deeply connected. Hybrid cloud for us means that regardless of where the data sits whether the compute is on-premise, off-premise, or across multiple clouds. We believe the client should have the control and flexibility to choose where to run and place their data. If you look at the facts, a very high percentage of client data is still on-premise. It hasn't moved to the cloud for obvious reasons. So, how can you scale AI if you don’t have proper access to that data? AI is all about the data. That’s why we believe in a strategy that redefines and rethinks everything. We call it the Great Technology Reset." - Hans Dekkers

Fresh out of the studio, Hans Dekkers, General Manager of IBM Asia Pacific, joins us to explore how enterprise AI is reshaping business across the region. He shares his journey with IBM after business school, reflecting on the evolution of personal computers to AI today. Hans explains IBM's unique approach combining hybrid cloud infrastructure with AI for Enterprise, emphasizing how their granite models and data fabric enable businesses and governments to maintain control over their data while scaling AI capabilities. He highlights customer stories from Indonesian telecoms company to internal IBM transformations, showcasing how companies are re-engineering everything from HR to supply chains using domain-specific AI models. Addressing the challenges of AI implementation, he emphasizes the importance of foundational infrastructure and governance, while advocating for smaller, cost-effective models over GPU-heavy approaches. Closing the conversation, Hans shares his vision for IBM's growing presence in Asia as the key to enterprise AI success.

Episode Highlights:
[00:00] Quote of the Day by Hans Dekkers
[01:00] Introduction: Hans Dekkers from IBM
[05:00] Key career lesson from Hans Dekker
[06:51] IBM focuses on two emerging technologies: hybrid cloud and AI for Enterprise, deeply connected
[09:27] "Your data needs to remain your data" - IBM's fundamental AI principle for enterprise clients
[10:00] IBM's approach: Small, nimble, cost-effective AI models that can be owned and governed by clients
[13:59] "The cost of AI is still too high. It's about a hundred times too high" - IBM CEO's perspective on AI costs
[14:44] Small domain-specific models example: Banking AI trained for financial analysis, not Russian poetry
[18:00] IBM's internal transformation: HR, supply chain, and consulting completely re-engineered with AI
[21:18] Major partnership announcement: Indonesian telecom embracing IBM's watsonx platform
[22:23] AI agents demo: Multiple agents (HR, finance, legal) debating and constructing narratives
[25:00] "Everyone talks about AI equals GPU" - Hans wishes clients understood that inferencing is more important
[27:00] IBM's Asia Pacific vision: Reestablishing growing presence and differentiated technology approach
[28:00] Closing

Profile: Hans Dekkers, General Manager IBM Asia Pacific and China: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-a-t-dekkers/

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. Here are the links to watch or listen to our podcast.

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