RECENT STORIES:

Addressing digital sovereignty in a data-driven world
Agentic AI for SMEs: Understanding benefits, risks, and cyber/regulato...
Chanson International Holding Announces First Half of Fiscal Year 2025...
EverHive Expands Into APAC, Establishing Singapore Hub to Support Regi...
Driving the Green Supply Chain: Apacer Launches Fully Lead-free SSD &a...
63% of Global SMEs Now Rush to AI Tools to Supercharge Cross-Border Tr...
LOGIN REGISTER
DigiconAsia
  • Features
    • Featured

      Overcoming manufacturing challenges with the smart factory of the future

      Overcoming manufacturing challenges with the smart factory of the future

      Wednesday, September 3, 2025, 2:31 PM Asia/Singapore | Features
    • Featured

      From generative AI to agentic AI

      From generative AI to agentic AI

      Friday, August 29, 2025, 10:10 AM Asia/Singapore | Features
    • Featured

      Resilience the true benchmark for smart infrastructure

      Resilience the true benchmark for smart infrastructure

      Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 8:26 PM Asia/Singapore | Features, Smart Cities
  • News
    • Featured

      When online safety becomes a meta of concern for AI-generated celebrity-parody avatars

      When online safety becomes a meta of concern for AI-generated celebrity-parody avatars

      Thursday, September 4, 2025, 5:12 PM Asia/Singapore | News, Newsletter
    • Featured

      AXS modernizes legacy systems to prepare for regional expansion

      AXS modernizes legacy systems to prepare for regional expansion

      Thursday, September 4, 2025, 5:01 PM Asia/Singapore | Case Studies, News
    • Featured

      Year-old survey shows growing APAC link between GenAI deployment and edge computing adoption

      Year-old survey shows growing APAC link between GenAI deployment and edge computing adoption

      Thursday, September 4, 2025, 4:57 PM Asia/Singapore | News, Newsletter
  • Perspectives
  • Tips & Strategies
  • Whitepapers
  • Awards 2023
  • Directory
  • E-Learning

Select Page

Tips & Strategies

Agentic AI for SMEs: Understanding benefits, risks, and cyber/regulatory responsibilities

By Koren Wines, Managing Director, Xero | Friday, September 5, 2025, 3:08 PM Asia/Singapore

Agentic AI for SMEs: Understanding benefits, risks, and cyber/regulatory responsibilities

While agentic AI promises advanced automation, small business should be cognizant of emerging, unique cyber risks and responsibilities requiring responsible adoption.

Being a small business owner has never been easy — and today, it is more demanding than ever. Across Asia, small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) are navigating a minefield of rising costs, inflation, talent shortages, supply chain disruptions and ever-rising customer expectations.

In my conversations with SME owners across the region, one question consistently comes up: “In increasingly competitive and challenging conditions, how do I set my business up to not just survive, but sustainably grow and thrive?”

My answer: The shift is already underway — the move toward smarter, AI-powered operations.

Use cases for SME AI
Digital tools are no longer optional: they are critical to staying competitive. For small businesses, it is becoming a practical, everyday advantage for streamlining operations, improving decision-making, and freeing up time and headspace to focus on growth.

And at the heart of this transformation is not just AI, but autonomous AI agents that can automate simple tasks. We are entering the age of agentic AI: intelligent systems that act on behalf of humans to manage complex tasks from start to finish.

Take accounting, for example. Traditional AI can flag anomalies such as duplicate invoices. AI agents, on the other hand, take it further:

  • checking purchase orders
  • reviewing payment history
  • launching internal follow-ups

All the above, automatically, without human intervention. This kind of autonomous capability helps small businesses respond faster, make smarter decisions, and minimize errors.

For small teams, AI agents can become a true force multiplier.

Closing the gap between intention and impact

SMES frequently point to a lack of knowledge, training, or confidence in using AI tools. Some are unsure where to start. Others are concerned about their teams not having the right skills to make the most of new technologies.

This is where the ecosystem needs to step in. To that end, program such as Australia’s AI Adopt Program; Malaysia’s National AI Action Plan 2030; and Singapore’s S$150m Enterprise Compute Initiative, are helping SMEs to bridge the gap by demystifying AI and providing accessible, practical support for SMEs to understand what AI can do and how to get started.

AI firms are working with partners to build tailored training program that equip small business teams to confidently use AI tools, not just at a surface level, but in ways that drive real results. That includes understanding data, spotting inaccuracies, and translating insights into meaningful business action.

What AI is and is not
AI is not just an operational tool: it sets the foundation for long-term resilience. From customer service to supply chain management, AI gives businesses the agility to respond to change, without burning out teams or breaking budgets. It is also:

  • a strategic partner in how SMES run and grow. When embedded into everyday systems and supported by skilled teams, AI agents can help SMEs stay agile, informed and customer-focused, even in uncertain times.
  • unlocking new possibilities for automation, accuracy and decision-making. For businesses operating on tight margins and tighter timeframes, autonomous AI can make a world of difference. With the right tools, training, and mindset, even the smallest enterprise can take bold steps forward—powered by AI.

Editor’s note: Fora deeper dive into the heavy responsibilities of adopting Responsible AI, the following materials can help SMEs weigh their budget options:

  • AI and Data Privacy: How to stay compliant and protect your business!
  • How does GDPR apply to agentic AI systems? A complete compliance guide
  • Understanding the EU AI Act: practical implications for SMEs in Europe
  • Responsible AI starts with the artifact: Challenging the concept of responsible AI (Taylor & Francis)
  • Responsible AI: Concepts, critical perspectives and an Information Systems research agenda
  • The next “Next Big Thing”: Agentic AI’s opportunities and risks (Berkeley SCET)
  • A non-profit academic perspective calling for critical resistance to unchecked AI adoption
  • A review of Trust, Risk, and Security Management in LLM-based agentic multi-agent systems

Share:

PreviousChanson International Holding Announces First Half of Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results

Related Posts

ChatGPT, predict data center/data management trends in the Year of the Rabbit

ChatGPT, predict data center/data management trends in the Year of the Rabbit

February 21, 2023

Know the three themes impacting AI in 2025: Authenticity, Applied Value and Agents

Know the three themes impacting AI in 2025: Authenticity, Applied Value and Agents

February 24, 2025

10 edge computing best practices

10 edge computing best practices

July 21, 2020

Can public sector services benefit from intelligent automation?

Can public sector services benefit from intelligent automation?

January 30, 2023

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Awards Nomination Banner

gamification list

PARTICIPATE NOW

top placement

Whitepapers

  • Achieve Modernization Without the Complexity

    Achieve Modernization Without the Complexity

    Transforming IT infrastructure is crucial …Download Whitepaper
  • 5 Steps to Boost IT Infrastructure Reliability

    5 Steps to Boost IT Infrastructure Reliability

    In today's fast-evolving tech landscape, …Download Whitepaper
  • Simplify Payroll Setup for Your Small Business

    Simplify Payroll Setup for Your Small Business

    In our free guide, "How …Download Whitepaper
  • Overcoming the Challenges of Cost & Complexity in the Cloud-first Era.

    Overcoming the Challenges of Cost & Complexity in the Cloud-first Era.

    Download Whitepaper

Middle Placement

Case Studies

  • AXS modernizes legacy systems to prepare for regional expansion

    AXS modernizes legacy systems to prepare for regional expansion

    The 20-year-old payment service network …Read More
  • Gill Capital redefines retail product discovery with Google-quality search

    Gill Capital redefines retail product discovery with Google-quality search

    Harnessing generative AI, agentic AI …Read More
  • Indonesia’s largest private hospital network modernizes operations with cloud migration  

    Indonesia’s largest private hospital network modernizes operations with cloud migration  

    PT Siloam International Hospitals improves …Read More
  • Maybank accelerates digital transformation with AI-driven innovation

    Maybank accelerates digital transformation with AI-driven innovation

    Maybank has entered into a strategic …Read More

Bottom Sidebar

Other News

  • Chanson International Holding Announces First Half of Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results

    September 5, 2025
    URUMQI, China, Sept. 5, 2025 …Read More »
  • EverHive Expands Into APAC, Establishing Singapore Hub to Support Regional Growth

    September 5, 2025
    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 5, 2025 …Read More »
  • Driving the Green Supply Chain: Apacer Launches Fully Lead-free SSD & CoreEnergy

    September 5, 2025
    TAIPEI, Sept. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ …Read More »
  • 63% of Global SMEs Now Rush to AI Tools to Supercharge Cross-Border Trade: Alibaba.com Research

    September 5, 2025
    CoCreate 2025 Attracts Record Number …Read More »
  • Waterdrop Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2025 Unaudited Financial Results and a Cash Dividend, Net profit rises 58.7% year-on-year

    September 4, 2025
    BEIJING, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ …Read More »
  • Our Brands
  • CybersecAsia
  • MartechAsia
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertising & Reprint Policy
  • Media Kit
  • Subscribe
  • Manage Subscriptions
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2025 DigiconAsia All Rights Reserved.