MANILA, Philippines — Close to 1,500 founders, enterprise leaders, investors, technologists, and policymakers gathered at SaaScon PH ’26 to discuss how AI is reshaping business operations, workforce transformation, and enterprise strategy across Southeast Asia.

Hosted by Sprout Solutions, this year’s conference centered on the theme “Enterprise 2030: The Rise of the AI-Native Business,” bringing together leaders from Globe, AWS, Accenture, IBM, RCBC, Canva, McKinsey & Company, and emerging AI startups to explore how organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation toward AI-native execution.

From AI Adoption to AI-Native Execution

Speakers emphasized that competitive advantage is no longer defined by whether companies use AI, but by how deeply AI is embedded into operations, workflows, and decision-making.

During his keynote, Enterprise 2030: The Rise of the AI-Native Organization, Saurish Basu, Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, said organizations must redesign workflows around measurable business outcomes instead of simply layering AI tools onto existing processes.

“The companies that move ahead in the AI era will be the ones that redesign how work happens, not just automate isolated tasks. AI-native organizations are building systems where AI becomes part of operations, governance, and decision-making itself,” said Basu.

Sessions throughout the conference highlighted the shift from standalone software tools toward AI-driven systems embedded across HR, finance, customer experience, compliance, and operations.

The Rise of Agentic AI

Another major focus was “agentic AI,” where intelligent systems can reason, coordinate workflows, and execute tasks with human oversight. Sessions explored how organizations are designing environments where AI agents function as collaborators rather than simple assistants.

For Patrick Gentry, CEO of Sprout, the conversation around AI has evolved beyond simple productivity gains:

“The shift happening now is much bigger than automation. Businesses are starting to redesign operating models around AI-native workflows and intelligent systems. But even as AI becomes more powerful, accountability still belongs to people. AI should extend human capability, not replace human responsibility,” said Gentry.

“AI is an extension of yourself, your second brain, but you are still in charge,” added Kislay Chandra, Chief Operations Officer at Sprout.

People-First Governance Takes the Spotlight

As organizations scale AI adoption, governance emerged as a major theme, particularly around explainability, security, accountability, and human oversight in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and HR.

Discussions also explored how AI is accelerating both cybersecurity capabilities and threats, increasing the urgency for responsible deployment.

Southeast Asia’s Opportunity in the AI Era

Several sessions highlighted Southeast Asia’s potential to lead the next wave of applied AI innovation due to its young digital-native population, fragmented industries, and operational complexity.

Case studies featured AI-powered healthcare, recruitment, workforce management, and SME automation tools.

During the SME and entrepreneurship track, Jose Magsaysay Jr., Honorary Member of the Philippine AI Business Association (PAIBA), emphasized that adaptability and continuous learning will define successful organizations in the AI era.

“AI is amplifying both strengths and weaknesses inside organizations. The advantage will belong to businesses that learn quickly, adapt fast, and combine technology with deeply human skills like leadership, judgment, and empathy,” said Magsaysay.

Building AI-Native Organizations

The conference concluded with the message that AI transformation is ultimately about people, leadership, and organizational readiness as much as technology itself.

For Gian Dela Rama, Chief Technology Officer of Sprout, the next phase of AI adoption will depend on how organizations prepare their teams to work alongside intelligent systems.

“The future belongs to organizations that can combine AI fluency with strong human judgment. AI can automate repetitive work and accelerate execution, but creativity, systems thinking, accountability, and leadership remain deeply human responsibilities,” said Dela Rama.

The conference brought together ecosystem partners supporting AI adoption and digital transformation, including Globe Business, KMC Solutions, Singlife Philippines, Doconchain, Crayon, Hivework, The Sales Machine, Peoplebox AI, Sterling International, mWell, and Asia CEO Forum.

Learn more about SaaScon PH at https://saascon.ph.