Southeast Asia needs a strong AI governance framework | East Asia Forum

Author: Albert J Rapha, KU Leuven

Artificial intelligence (AI) is considered critical by Southeast Asians, reflected in A study that showed that 70 percent of respondents from Southeast Asia saw AI as vital to their future and called for an acceleration in AI development in the region.

One of the most significant potential impacts of AI is its ability to accelerate economic growth, with the potential for Southeast Asia to rake in up to $950 billion by 2030, resulting in a 10-18% increase in GDP.

But there are still several barriers to developing this cutting-edge technology and making Southeast Asia globally competitive. TO Asia Society Policy Institute study highlights the imperative to ensure that AI adoption takes into account risks, including inclusion, cyber resilience and labor market disruption.

The inclusion of AI refers to the urgency of promoting greater public participationpromoting citizen-centred design and reducing costs centralized approach to the development of future AI-based technologies. Guarantee that this technology is not used to discriminate against minority users, as highlighted by recent events in thailandit must also be taken into account by the authorities.

Since AI is highly dependent on data generated by users’ daily online activities, cyber resilience should be a prerequisite for adopting this technology. The implementation of high standards of protection of personal data and the anticipation of the threats of digital surveillance must become priorities for governments if they want to foster public trust in AI-based government services.

The exponential and widespread adoption of AI also threatens to eliminate jobs in various industries and displace workers. This is often compounded by a lack of highly-skilled workers working in high-tech industries, and highlights the need for more public spending on education, training, and research. Governments in Southeast Asia need to start developing AI governance frameworks to optimize the benefits of AI and avoid potential risks. Clear and specific AI governance frameworks are prerequisites for leveraging AI-based technology.

Governments in Southeast Asia have taken important initial steps to advance AI governance. Singapore Initially led the way by launching its National AI Strategy in 2019 and the first AI framework in Asia with its AI Governance Model Framework in 2020. Indonesia, thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam they have also published national strategies and roadmaps for AI development. ASEAN digital ministers have recognized the importance to develop an ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics while enhancing collaborations focused on bridging digital divides.

But none of the existing frameworks, documents, and meeting outcomes include specific guidelines for addressing the potential risks of leveraging AI-powered technologies. Singapore’s Model AI Governance paper proposed a risk-based approach to build user trust, but the details surrounding risk categories and levels are still missing. If this continues, it may lead to an uncertain definition of the legal basis for the use of AI, resulting in a vague position to regulate practices associated with AI and address the misuse of this technology.

The use of AI-powered facial recognition is a striking example. Facial recognition technology has helped governments like Singapore’s to tracking those infected with COVID-19. But this technology has considerable potential for misuse, such as expanding mass digital surveillance by installing cameras to monitor citizens, as occurred in burmaand Expansion of racial discrimination. due to inequity in their algorithms. Without developing an AI governance framework with a specific and clear legal basis for AI use, it would be difficult for authorities to categorize what practices are prohibited and decide when to take legal action against AI misuse.

To reap the benefits of AI equally for people in Southeast Asia and manage its potential risks to society, concrete collective action is urgently needed. Southeast Asian leaders should consider jointly adopting the Singapore government’s risk-based approach. at regional level to define specific groups and risk categories and protect users from potentially harmful outcomes. This would provide Southeast Asia with a common legal basis to govern the use of AI. This would be similar to recently place by the EU that each member state can adopt in the national AI governance frameworks.

Authorities in the Southeast Asia region should consider devising a form of comprehensive regional cooperation in AI development such as established by the EU in 2018. This could create a sense of unity in fostering a highly-skilled workforce, digital infrastructure, research, and investment in AI-based technology.

The 2023 ASEAN presidency, Indonesia, and its grand vision of making ASEAN the epicenter of growth could be a source of impetus for these initiatives. Leading AI development countries in the region, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, will play a key role in implementing the initiative negotiation process. With a clear and specific governance and regulatory framework on AI, Southeast Asia has an opportunity to not only strengthen its regional competitiveness, but also to ensure the digital rights of citizens by leveraging AI.

Albert J. Rapha is an Erasmus+ scholar and postgraduate student in public sector innovation and e-government at KU Leuven.