Over the past 15 years, I have been involved in driving digital transformation across Southeast Asia from e-commerce platforms to consumer health initiatives and precision instruments. I have sat in big conference rooms with global executives and key opinion leaders debating strategy, and I have also been on the ground with local teams trying to get systems working amid real-world challenges.
One thing is clear: Southeast Asia does not just need more engineers or shiny technology to make its AI revolution happen. What it really needs are more translators.
Not language translators (though language does matter in this diverse region), but people who can bridge the often wide gap between AI’s technical promise and the messy realities of local businesses. People who translate ideas into action, global tech into local impact, and strategy into execution. This “translation layer” is invisible until you realize how much gets lost without it.
AI adoption: Just another chapter in a familiar story
Many companies here are still getting their feet wet with AI. It’s exciting, but it’s also very much an experiment-and-learn process. Just like when companies first adopted ERP systems, CRM tools, or eCommerce platforms years ago, AI rollout comes with trial, error, and adaptation.
I once worked with a regional team rolling out an eCommerce platform across five APAC countries. The tech was solid, the budget was good, but adoption varied wildly. In some countries, users embraced the platform. In others, it barely made a dent.
The difference was not the technology. It was whether local digital champions existed to translate business needs into tech realities and back again. In successful markets, those “bridge builders” made the strategy real. In others, it stayed trapped in PowerPoint decks.
Similarly, AI is no silver bullet. I recently experienced this first-hand with an AI chatbot project designed for after-sales support. The model was trained on clean, Western HQ data. But in the field, customers used WhatsApp, switched between three languages in a single chat, and expected empathy rather than robotic efficiency. Without someone to bridge that cultural and operational gap, the bot simply did not work.
Why translators are essential in Southeast Asia
SEA’s diversity is both its biggest strength and challenge. What works in Singapore might not necessarily fly in Indonesia or Vietnam. Different languages, regulatory environments, infrastructure gaps, and cultural expectations mean one-size-fits-all AI won’t cut it.
Moreover, many companies here operate with legacy systems and business models built on relationships, not just processes. These ecosystems demand patient, thoughtful integration of AI guided by translators who understand local context deeply.
These translators are not a specific job title, they might be product owners, digital leads, operations managers, or even head of sales. But they share the ability to:
- Understand business priorities and technical constraints;
- Speak the languages of frontline teams and data scientists alike;
- Recognize when global solutions need local adaptation;
- Drive change through collaboration, not just mandates.
Growing translators: A new kind of talent
The good news? Translators can be nurtured, but not through traditional, siloed career paths. We need more hybrid talent people who can move fluidly between stakeholder conversations, user stories, and ROI discussions all in a day’s work.
My own path did not start in AI or tech. It began on the supermarket floor, chatting with retailers to understand what really sells. Then I moved into digital strategy and eCommerce leadership. Most recently, I have been exploring AI startups through an accelerator program. This layered experience, which across sales, digital, and innovation has taught me the kind of practical, cross-contextual fluency no single course can offer.
Conclusion: Translators are the quiet heroes of AI success
The most successful digital transformations I have seen were not about flashy tech or big budgets. They were about people who could translate across the many gaps between business, technology, and culture.
As Southeast Asia races toward its AI-driven future, we cannot ignore the human infrastructure needed to make it real. Without translators, even the best AI ideas risk staying locked on whiteboards or trapped forever in a Mural board.
Next time, when you plan your AI strategy, consider this: it is not just about having the right technology, it is about having the right translators too.
Sebastian Tai Jian Haw is a seasoned digital transformation leader with over 15 years of experience across Southeast Asia, spanning e-commerce, healthcare, and precision industries. He has held leadership roles at Abbott, Lazada, and Mettler-Toledo, and most recently explored AI-driven innovation through a startup accelerator with Antler.
With a career built at the intersection of commercial execution and digital strategy, Sebastian brings a unique lens to how businesses can adapt and thrive in complex, high-growth markets. He writes and speaks on the future of digital adoption, local innovation, and the people behind successful transformation.
TNGlobal INSIDER publishes contributions relevant to entrepreneurship and innovation. You may submit your own original or published contributions subject to editorial discretion.
SportsTech game changer: Building for Brisbane 2032 and beyond