Thailand launches National AI Roadmap to drive industrial productivity

Thailand has officially launched its National AI Roadmap for the Sustainable Productivity of Industries. The initiative, supported by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), aims to prioritize measurable productivity gains over mere technology adoption.

The roadmap focuses on using artificial intelligence to increase output, enhance worker capabilities, improve resource efficiency, and drive sustainable industrial upgrading. This strategic shift comes as Thailand faces economic challenges, including a decline in labor-productivity growth from 4.8% during 2010–2015 to 2.1% between 2015–2023, alongside zero growth in total factor productivity.

As an aging population limits labor-force expansion, the roadmap seeks to maximize value from existing labor and capital. The APO emphasizes that the success of AI integration will be measured by its ability to raise output per hour, reduce defects and downtime, improve asset utilization, and lower energy and material intensity.