AIS: AI and Digital Infrastructure Like Utilities
Phupha Akrawipat from AIS speaking at THE STANDARD ECONOMIC FORUM 2026 urges Thai businesses to focus on real outcomes rather than just adopting AI.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Phupha Akrawipat states AI and digital infrastructure should be like essential utilities such as water and electricity.
- Emphasizes that the key question is business outcomes rather than simply whether AI is being used.
- Advises businesses to start with real problem definitions rather than leaving AI projects solely to the IT department.
- Compares cloud and AI to an oven where businesses focus on the final product rather than building power plants.
Discussions around Thailand's digital infrastructure investments typically revolve around data center figures and Board of Investment project approvals. However, Phupha Akrawipat, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS), urges a closer look at how those values can cascade down to SMEs and the entire nation.
Speaking at THE STANDARD ECONOMIC FORUM 2026 during a Fireside Chat titled 'Empowering Thai Businesses with New Capabilities for the Intelligent Economy', Phupha assessed that this period could be Thailand's best timing. Upload and download bandwidth requirements are surging by 3 to 5 times, driving up the demand for fiber optic networks and submarine cables, while Thailand remains in a strategic geographical advantage.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
In terms of readiness, Thailand demonstrates rapid internet adoption, high social media usage, and top-tier internet speeds across diverse industries. Nevertheless, a major challenge remains: AI models are predominantly built externally, and AI has evolved into a trusted advisor for consumers, raising questions about whether AI will recommend local Thai brands or global competitors.
"If the objective is clear, the solution will inevitably involve AI. Therefore, the question is not how to use AI, but what the actual problem to solve is, with or without AI."
Phupha Akrawipat
Phupha cited Demand Forecasting as an example, such as a grilled pork vendor determining daily inventory. Solving such issues requires deep business understanding first; for instance, spoiled meat indicates overstocking, which might not necessarily require complex forecasting tools to resolve.
Enterprise AI adoption often falls into the trap of being treated purely as an IT initiative, even though IT teams do not directly generate revenue. Proper execution requires business units to define exact goals and desired outcomes first, allowing IT departments to step in and handle governance, security, and compliance to ensure alignment with broader business strategies.
Practically speaking, businesses have two paths: building solutions internally or leveraging external software houses, which can shorten software development time from six months down to just one month. Phupha compared digital infrastructure and AI to water and electricity—similar to a baker purchasing an oven to produce bread without needing to own a power plant.
Source: Techsauce
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