EP 377 - Why Is Asia Adopting AI Faster Than the Rest of the World? - Adrian Johnson - Hitachi Vantara

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly across Asia, not only because of its economic potential but also due to the region’s strong appetite for innovation and global competitiveness. Countries are embracing AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and create smarter business strategies.

ATP spoke to Adrian Johnson, Senior VP and General Manager Americas and Asia Pacific at Hitachi Vantara about how countries like Singapore and China are not just experimenting with AI—they’re leading.

Some of the topics Adrian covered in detail include:

• Asia is the “market of the 21st century. With rapid economic development, fierce internal competition, and a drive for global relevance, Asia is leaping forward.
• Infrastructure built for yesterday can’t handle AI today. One of the biggest challenges companies face is that their current IT infrastructure simply wasn’t built for AI’s compute-heavy, high-performance demands.
• AI promises to level the playing field—but only if SMEs can access the tools. "AI-as-a-Service” could enable that, allowing SMEs to plug into powerful AI tools without building from scratch.
• No matter how powerful an AI model is, poor data quality guarantees poor outcomes. Getting data quality right is of the utmost importance.
• The next phase of AI is not just about private models—it’s about sovereign ones. These models will be geographically and legally confined, ensuring they comply with local laws and cultural expectations.
• AI isn’t just computationally expensive—it’s environmentally taxing. As quantum computing and edge computing enter the fray, there’s a pressing need to align innovation with sustainability.