Southeast Asian leaders emphasize AI for economic and social development

Leaders and experts in Southeast Asia are emphasizing the strategic importance of artificial intelligence (AI) for economic and social development. In Sarawak, Premier Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg has urged youth to master AI and digital technology to drive the state’s economic transformation, noting that human capital investment is essential to complement natural resources.

In Sabah, Borneo Dayak Forum President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffry G. Kitingan highlighted the need for indigenous communities to harness AI to protect their languages, cultures, and traditional knowledge from digital exploitation. He advocated for a balance between AI and ‘Ancestral Intelligence’ to ensure technology serves community rights.

Academic perspectives from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak suggest AI can solve complex challenges in biodiversity, agriculture, and research, provided that humans lead the technology rather than being led by it.

In Singapore, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong highlighted the integration of AI into public services, specifically in healthcare through personalized wellness plans and enhanced diagnostic accuracy in radiology. This aligns with broader regional trends where Singapore maintains high public trust in government-led technological regulation and retraining initiatives to manage economic disruption.