ASEAN Ministers Stress Need for Collaboration to Harness AI Benefits

The statement was issued after the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation, which was held in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province.

"The meeting recognizes the significant transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a key driver of technological advancement and innovation and ascertains the need for concerted action and collaboration to harness the benefits of AI while proactively addressing its multifaceted social, economic, and ethical implications," the statement said.

"The meeting notes that AI is projected to significantly impact the ASEAN economy, potentially resulting in a 10 to 18 percent GDP uplift, valued at approximately 1 trillion U.S. dollars by the year 2030," it added.

The meeting noted the establishment of a working group under ASEAN Digital Senior Officials' Meeting on AI governance, aimed at addressing pertinent issues concerning AI governance, including the governance of generative AI, and fostering safe, responsible and ethical use of AI.

Also, the meeting welcomed the launch of the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation Tracks on AI for 2024-2025, aimed at expanding regional capacity development initiatives on AI, the statement said.

It added that the meeting recognized the potential of leveraging AI technologies to foster inclusive and equitable economic growth, improve access to education, healthcare, and essential services, and mitigate socio-economic disparities within societies.

The meeting also underscored the importance of investing in AI infrastructure, encompassing data centers, computing resources, and connectivity, to bolster the advancement and deployment of responsible AI applications and services throughout ASEAN.

The meeting encouraged collaborative efforts towards the establishment of regional AI infrastructure initiatives and platforms to facilitate knowledge exchange, data sharing, technology transfer and collaboration among researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

The meeting also emphasized the critical need for robust data governance frameworks and mechanisms to safeguard data privacy, security, and integrity, while also fostering data sharing, interoperability, and innovation in AI applications, the statement said.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.