Photo Credit: Nutthawat Wichieanbut
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize the economy more significantly than mobile technology and previous digital shifts, emerging as one of the most promising investment themes of the next decade, according to Kasikorn Business-Technology Group (KBTG).
Ruangroj Poonpol, chairman of KBTG, highlighted that alternative investments and technology-based assets will take on an increasingly vital role as global markets continue to evolve.
“We’ll witness investment trends becoming more varied than ever, with technology at the core of this growth. AI is already transforming business operations worldwide,” he stated.
Organizations that adapt successfully to AI advancements are expected to become highly attractive investment opportunities. Industries capable of supporting AI-driven processes—such as fraud prevention, cybersecurity, and data verification—are positioned for substantial growth, he added.
“AI will enhance employee productivity, effectively creating ‘super humans’ capable of unprecedented efficiency,” said Ruangroj.
Beyond traditional assets like gold, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, AI is emerging as a major long-term investment trend that investors can’t afford to ignore. Its applications span healthcare, energy, and manufacturing, enabling companies to achieve rapid, transformative growth, he noted.
“We already see startups with just a handful of employees generating hundreds of millions of baht by leveraging AI,” he added.
The rapid pace of AI development offers young entrepreneurs opportunities to build businesses more quickly and efficiently, increasing the likelihood of achieving unicorn status, Ruangroj pointed out.
He introduced the “5F” investment themes linked to technology-driven growth: food, feeling, fashion, film, and fight. Food covers innovations in agriculture and nutrition, feeling relates to wellness, healthcare, and travel experiences. Fashion encompasses consumer lifestyle industries, while film includes creative sectors and soft power that attract global investment. Fight refers to competitive sports, spanning Muay Thai, e-sports, and Formula One.
“By developing specialized, effective technologies tailored for these industries, we can reduce reliance on foreign solutions. Instead, we can export our own homegrown technologies and create immense value,” he explained.
KBTG has led AI innovations, earning global recognition through three groundbreaking technologies: AINU, a facial identity verification system capable of detecting altered or fake images, making KBTG the only Thai organization to receive such acclaim; THaLLE, Thailand’s first AI-driven financial model that passed both the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Stock Exchange of Thailand’s investment consultant exams; and Future You AI, an award-winning tool that encourages behavioral change by enabling individuals to interact with their future selves.
Ruangroj emphasized that private equity and AI-related investments will become more accessible over the next five years, particularly for younger investors who utilize AI to analyze and process data, ushering in a new investment landscape where AI-aligned sectors and alternative assets will outperform traditional markets.