PodChats for FutureCIO: Accelerating agentic AI adoption in 2026

In 2026, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong stand at a pivotal moment in the integration of agentic AI, a technology that empowers machines to make autonomous decisions. 

While organisations can harness agentic AI to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences, they also face significant challenges, including ethical concerns and workforce displacement. 

Leaders are racing ahead to adopt these innovations, seeking competitive advantages that promise to reshape industries. As they navigate this tipping point, the balance between opportunity and risk becomes crucial, defining the future landscape of work in the region.

In this PodChats for FutureCIO, Adhil Badat, managing director for Asia Pacific and Japan at Rackspace Technology, shares his perspective on how organisations are pushing forward agentic AI adoption in the quest to accelerate transformation and innovation.

1.       How different is agentic AI from traditional AI?

2.       What is the connection between robotic process automation (RPA) to agentic AI? 

3.       What preparations are necessary for adopting agentic AI?  

4.       What competitive advantages do AI leaders currently enjoy? 

5.       Referring to the Rackspace report, The AI Acceleration Gap: Why Some Enterprises Are Surging Ahead, How will the 250% surge in AI investments affect scalability? 

6.       In 2025, CFOs we spoke to are demanding greater transparency and accountability when it comes to technology investments. What strategies are AI leaders using to maximise RoAI (return on AI investments)? 

7.       Speaking of use cases, in your experience, what are the most impactful real-world applications of agentic AI? 

8.       We’ve heard of AI hallucinations. How about with agentic AI. Is agentic AI also susceptible to hallucinations. And while are on the topic, how can organisations address ethical concerns surrounding agentic AI? 

9.       Generative AI gave rise to a new skills requirement: prompt engineering. What about for agentic AI? What skills will the workforce need when they use agentic AI? 

10.   I mentioned earlier CFOs demanding proof their investments are delivering the promised ROI. How should leaders measure the success of agentic AI initiatives? 

11.   It can be argued that in Asia, Singapore led the way with regards to provide guardrails and frameworks with AI use. Specific to agentic AI use, what regulatory considerations must organisations keep in mind, and how to do so for those that operate in multiple markets?

a.       What about Australia (in terms of regulations)?

12.   Last question, what will Agentic AI evolve into in 2026? How should CIOs plan their AI strategy to tap this next evolution of Agentic AI? 

13.   In my experience, when it comes to technology, the most successful organisations rarely go it alone. For those seeking to maximise the return on their Agentic AI investments, who do they partner with internally and externally?