KASIKORN BUSINESS-TECHNOLOGY GROUP (KBTG), the technology arm of Kasikornbank, is moving beyond conventional AI adoption with an ambitious strategy centered on “agentic AI”—intelligent systems capable of commanding other AI agents to execute complex, end-to-end tasks. The initiative is a core part of its bid to become a regional “AI-Infused Tech Powerhouse,” with the company already reporting significant productivity gains of over 45% in certain development roles and cost reductions of as much as 32 million baht.
At the heart of the overhaul is a philosophy KBTG calls “Human-First x AI-First,” a framework designed to quell fears of job replacement by positioning AI as a powerful collaborator that augments human capabilities. Rather than simply implementing off-the-shelf AI tools, KBTG is building a sophisticated ecosystem where employees are empowered to create their own AI agents to streamline workflows, reduce repetitive work, and focus on higher-value strategic tasks.TG is poised to lead financial technology in Southeast Asia, improving quality of life and driving sustainable financial innovation.
“Since the beginning of 2024, we have been integrating AI with human expertise to deliver modern financial services,” stated Ruangroj Poonpol, Group Chairman of KBTG. He identified agentic AI as the key enabler in this transformation, allowing the organization to tackle multifaceted challenges in software development and back-office operations with unprecedented efficiency.
This strategy is formalized in KBTG’s “5+1” strategic pillars, which embed AI across banking use cases, IT delivery, data platforms, governance, and the commercialization of AI technology. The crucial “+1” represents the empowerment of its people, ensuring employees are equipped with the AI literacy needed to thrive in the new environment.
The real-world impact of this strategy is already evident. Jirat Srisawat, Assistant Managing Director, revealed that the deployment of an AI coding assistant to over 600 engineers and testers has yielded remarkable results. Over 10 million lines of code, accounting for 10% of the total, have been generated by AI and reviewed by human engineers. In a pilot project with MAKE by KBank, a digital banking service, a task that previously took a full day was completed in just 15 minutes using a new coding agent.
“Our goal is to leverage AI to augment human capability, not replace it,” Jirat explained. This is being achieved through initiatives like the “AI and Data Playground,” a platform that democratizes AI development. Wanlop Visithamakun, Assistant Managing Director for Intelligence Engineering, noted that the platform has drastically cut down development time for new AI agents from 30 days to just one, allowing staff to rapidly turn ideas into functional tools.
Another in-house tool, AthenaMind, acts as a specialized chatbot that provides real-time, 24/7 answers to employee queries on complex internal topics like HR policies and cybersecurity by pulling information directly from company databases.
To ensure the reliability and safety of this rapid AI integration, KBTG has also invested heavily in quality control. The company developed two internal frameworks: “Chai LAI,” an AI testing agent that has already generated over 500 automated testing scripts, and “Sai JAI,” a comprehensive governance system for “Testing for AI.”
“Quality remains our top priority,” affirmed Maysinee Nakmanee, Deputy Managing Director for Software Quality Management. “The ‘Sai JAI’ framework ensures that every AI solution we build is not only advanced and effective but also trustworthy, responsible, and aligned with global standards.”
As it moves into the second half of 2025, KBTG plans to double down on its agentic AI rollout, focusing on scaling its existing AI agents and developing new “vertical agents” for specialized workflows across the entire software development life cycle—from business analysis to DevOps—aiming to deliver tangible ROI and cement its position as a financial technology leader in Southeast Asia.
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