As the adoption of artificial intelligence in its many forms, including conversational AI and generative AI, accelerates across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, leading organizations are reshaping customer experience (CX) management through intelligent automation, human-AI collaboration and strategic innovation.
The CX Network’s All Access: Unlock Conversational Engagement with AI APAC webinar series convened senior executives and AI specialists from banking, hospitality, aviation, legal services and technology sectors to share real-world strategies and lessons in deploying AI responsibly and effectively.
Build trust with customers
Ashish Verma, vice president, AI Governance at DBS Bank opened the event with a powerful message: Without trust, generative AI is irrelevant in enterprise environments. His session focused on how organizations can adopt a system-wide approach to AI, prioritizing transparency, traceability and verifiability in every output.
Debunking the myth that GenAI is plug-and-play, Verma outlined a strategic framework for building trust through Knowledge Management Systems (KMS), structured around four pillars:
- Versioning (assigning unique identifiers to different states of a product) and tagging of content.
- Structured, searchable input.
- Role-based access controls.
- Feedback loops for continuous improvement.
Verma also introduced the MCP (Mechanism, Context, Protocol) model to ensure AI agents act within policy parameters. This "digital rulebook" helps enterprises move from passive chatbots to proactive AI actors—without compromising on governance.
Enhance human agents' abilities with AI
To follow, Abdur Rehman Kureshi, customer success manager – AI Solutions at Thomson Reuters outlined how AI is augmenting - not replacing, human intelligence across legal, tax and accounting services. He projected that APAC companies that responsibly integrate GenAI will see 25 percent revenue growth and 30 percent cost reductions over the next three years.
Thomson Reuters' AI strategy is based on three pillars:
- Embedding AI across their existing product suite.
- Strategic partnerships (for example, Microsoft).
- Targeted acquisitions of AI startups.
Kureshi emphasized that human oversight, data privacy and continuous learning remain essential to ensuring AI remains a tool for empowerment—not risk.
Keep an eye on the future of AI
To follow, Richard Winston and Denae Brookstein showcased Zendesk’s agentic AI platform, a solution that blends generative AI with procedural automation to manage complex inquiries with human-like interaction.
Key features included:
- Context-aware, personalized responses.
- Real-time tone modulation.
- Seamless chatbot-to-human transitions.
- Transparent decision tracking.
- Integrated satisfaction and performance analytics.
Zendesk’s latest CX Trends report revealed a 66 percent increase in service inquiry volume between 2022 and 2024, underscoring why AI is no longer a “nice to have” but a necessity. By 2029, 80 percent of service interactions are expected to be handled by AI agents. Their demo highlighted the importance of easy deployment and configuration, making sophisticated AI accessible even to non-technical users.
Automate repetitive questions
Last and by no means least, Firdaus Abhar Ali, engineering manager – AI Chatbot Systems for AirAsia explained the company's transformation journey as one of the most ambitious in APAC. Since 2019, the airline has leveraged conversational AI to streamline customer support, reducing live agents from more than 1,000 to a few hundred while maintaining high satisfaction rates.
Ali outlined how conversational AI became critical during the pandemic, which caused a 140 percent surge in inquiries. By consolidating engagement channels and automating repetitive queries, the airline sustained service quality even with reduced staffing.
Key transformation strategies:
- Channel optimization: Social channels prioritized for branding and high-volume traffic; CRM and dashboards used for real-time monitoring and conflict resolution.
- Customer insights: Data analysis and feedback loops guide chatbot improvements and predict user needs.
- Personalized engagement: AI tracks user behavior to provide tailored content across the app, website, chatbot and voice assistants.
- AI Infrastructure: Clean, scalable data systems underpin chatbot performance. Integration with InfoBit is enabling voice-based conversational AI pilots.
Ali concluded that AI’s true power lies in partnership—with people, processes, and data. In conclusion, there is a regional surge in intelligent CX and the Conversational AI APAC Deep Dive proved that APAC organizations are not merely adopting AI—they are leading the global conversation on responsible, human-centric implementation.
Follow the leaders in conversational AI
After sessions about DBS Bank’s enterprise governance model, Zendesk’s agile agentic platform, Thomson Reuters’ professional services transformation and AirAsia’s scalable chatbot infrastructure, a clear pattern emerged: Trust, transparency, and traceability are essential. AI should complement—not replace—humans. And practical, measurable outcomes must guide strategy. As AI continues to evolve, the APAC region is setting a benchmark for sustainable innovation in customer experience.
Quick links:
- 4 Workforce management trends in contact centers
- Keep CX management human in the age of AI
- The emerging role of conversational AI agents in APAC contact centers