Southeast Asia’s tech drive: Data, AI, and autonomy with Asia Society Australia

Southeast Asia is clearly on the radar of the new Australian Government, and there is palpable enthusiasm for the transformative potential of data and artificial intelligence (AI) across the region. This is evident in government and ASEAN policies, the tech industry's investments, and in the region's rapidly growing e-commerce market.

But what is the utility and the end goal of data-driven optimization and Southeast Asia's broader digital transformation?  What are the notions underpinning buzzwords like "inclusive digital economy" or "ethical AI?" Are there uniquely Southeast Asian perspectives that these countries can bring to the table in international discussions on technological rule-setting?

Join Asia Society Australia and the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific for this conversation as we launch the report "Raising Standards: Data and Artificial Intelligence in Southeast Asia" with Elina Noor, Director of Political-Security Affairs and Deputy Director, Washington, D.C. Office at the Asia Society Policy Institute, Mark Bryan Manantan, Senior Fellow for Cybersecurity and Critical Technology, Pacific Forum, Johanna Weaver, Director, Tech Policy Design Centre, Australian National University, Sarah Logan, Research Fellow at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, and Will Bateman, Associate Professor at the ANU College of Law.

This Asia Society Policy Institute project maps the aspirations of five Southeast Asian countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam - exploring the objectives of a data-driven environment in Southeast Asia. It shows that Southeast Asia has the opportunity to redefine inclusive development for the region by raising standards for data and AI through multi-stakeholder approaches and alternative viewpoints. Conversely, the region runs the risk of ceding decision-making to outsiders and locking in structures that are ill-suited for the region's long-term digital future.

Attendees are invited to join the panellists for refreshments and discussion at the conclusion of the event.

Date: Wednesday 27 July 2022
Time: 2 - 4 p.m. AEST

Format: Panel discussion and networking
In Person attendance: Molonglo Theatre at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australia National University, Canberra
Registration link:https://invtdu.to/_od94m

Registration is essential. For any enquiries, please contact programaustralia@asiasociety.org or victoria.kung@anu.edu.au