As the world celebrates AI Appreciation Day 2025 on July 16 under the theme “More Than Just Code”, it’s clear that artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved far beyond lines of programming. It now sits at the heart of enterprise strategy, decision-making and innovation.
However, while AI’s potential is undeniable, its true impact will be defined not by how advanced it becomes but by who gets to use it, how responsibly it’s deployed, and whether it benefits everyone.
Bridging the Divide Between Builders and Beneficiaries
According to Kissflow Chief Product Officer Dinesh Varadharajan, the key to unlocking AI’s enterprise value lies in empowering more people, not just developers, to build with it.
He highlights the issue of “AI pilot purgatory”, where companies stall due to siloed implementation. The solution? Low-code and no-code platforms powered by AI that democratise innovation across IT and business teams.
“The future isn’t about who can code, it’s about who is empowered to innovate,” Dinesh says, adding that this shift could define the next phase of enterprise agility in the Asia Pacific region.
From Digital Transformation to Agentic Transformation
David Irecki, Chief Technology Officer for APJ at Boomi, argues that AI is no longer on the sidelines; it’s at the core of enterprise operations.
With the rise of “agentic transformation”, where autonomous AI agents drive decisions and productivity, Irecki said the stakes have never been higher. Yet with great power comes great risk. Seventy per cent of APAC firms expect these shifts to disrupt business models within 18 months. Irecki cautions that trust, governance and secure infrastructure must evolve in tandem with innovation.
“Organisations that succeed won’t just adopt AI—they’ll lead with responsibility.”
Decisions, Not Just Data
For Luca Spinelli, Managing Director of SAS Singapore, responsible AI hinges on analytics-driven, value-based decision-making.
As AI outpaces regulation and understanding, the emphasis must be on transparency, compliance and outcomes, especially in high-stakes sectors like finance and government.
“Let’s appreciate the invisible engines of accountability,” he urges, referring to the governance systems that uphold fairness, auditability and scalability in AI deployment.
Turning Backup into Business Intelligence
Lim Hsin Yin of Cohesity, meanwhile, said AI adds another dimension, data intelligence, as AI models grow hungrier for data, organisations need to shift their mindset around what constitutes a strategic asset.
“Traditional backup systems are no longer sufficient. Instead, advanced AI-powered platforms can transform dormant archives into dynamic sources of insight, enabling use cases from cybersecurity forensics to customer trend analysis.
“The challenge isn’t just about storage, it’s about accessibility and intelligence,” she said.
Overall, AI is no longer just a backend enabler, it is becoming the co-pilot of innovation, policy, security and growth.
On AI Appreciation Day 2025, the call is clear: The next era of AI must be inclusive in who builds it, accountable in how it is governed and transformative in how it is applied. In short, it must be more than just code.
