SEA CIOs double down on low-code, AI to meet digital surge

Kissflow’s latest CIO Low-Code Strategy Pulse Report 2025 shows that Southeast Asian chief information officers are rapidly accelerating the adoption of low-code and artificial intelligence platforms to meet rising digital demands across the region.

The report, released this week, highlights a shift driven by the expanding digital economy in ASEAN. Digital industries in the region are projected to grow from US$300 billion to as much as US$1 trillion by 2030, with AI adoption expected to contribute between 13 percent and 18 percent to regional GDP by the end of the decade.

The study found that 86 percent of CIOs globally are already using low-code tools to speed up development and reduce reliance on traditional programmers, as both public and private organizations push for faster digital transformation. With demand for ICT talent outpacing supply across Southeast Asia, CIOs reported mounting pressure to deliver more applications in less time amid persistent IT backlogs.

More than half of the CIOs surveyed (55 percent) believe AI will significantly increase the number of applications created, underscoring AI’s ability to accelerate development cycles.

“Southeast Asia is at the digital frontier,” said Rakesh Nandakumar, AVP, APAC of Kissflow. “Low-code and AI together give CIOs in the region a way to scale innovation and localise rapidly — without waiting for limited technical talent.”

The report identifies strong momentum in low-code adoption across banking, government and logistics, driven by complex compliance requirements, expanding multi-entity operations and rising service-delivery expectations. It also notes a sharp rise in business-led app development, with operations (33 percent), finance (25 percent) and human resources (23 percent) already creating applications using no-code tools with minimal IT assistance.

According to the survey, CIOs also view AI as a critical differentiator when selecting low-code platforms, particularly among organizations operating in multiple markets with varying regulatory needs. Thirty-four percent of CIOs globally now consider AI capabilities a core requirement in platform selection.

The report concludes that low-code platforms are becoming a strategic tool for Southeast Asian organizations to bridge talent shortages, support regional expansion and accelerate innovation across teams.

Kissflow, which provides unified no-code and low-code capabilities, currently serves several enterprise users in the Asia-Pacific region — including True Corporation, Bank of the Philippine Islands and SCG International. In the Philippines, SN Aboitiz Power Group (SNAP) recently reported a 451 percent return on investment after deploying Kissflow’s low-code platform to unify and digitize workflows, a result validated by Nucleus Research and recognized with the ROI Award 2025.