ICEKREDIT CALLS FOR STRONGER ASEAN ALIGNMENT ON AI GOVERNANCE, ADOPTION

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- IceKredit Chief Growth Officer Kong Chinang called for stronger regional alignment across policy, industry and education to support sustainable and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in Southeast Asia.

Speaking at the inaugural AI Forward: Southeast Asia Policy Summit, hosted recently by Grab and ASEAN BAC in Jakarta, Kong said ASEAN has strong potential to play a leading role in the global AI landscape but requires coordinated action across sectors as AI evolves rapidly.

“ASEAN stands at an exciting inflection point for AI. To fully realise its transformative potential, we need deeper regional engagement and alignment among the tripartite pillars of policy, industry, and education. 

“Equally critical is embedding sustainability and responsibility into every stage of AI adoption, ensuring technology benefits people, businesses, and economies inclusively,” he added in a statement.

During the panel session “Empowering the next phase of AI transformation in SEA”, Kong joined speakers including Timothy Yap of McKinsey, Dau Anh Tuan of the Vietnam Chamber of Industry and Trade, Gunish Chawla of Amazon, and Yann AitBachir of Google to discuss the current state and future trajectory of AI adoption in Southeast Asia.

The summit, held alongside Grab’s flagship GrabX product event at Shangri-La Jakarta, gathered senior policymakers, global technology leaders and industry experts to discuss the future of AI development and deployment across ASEAN.

The day-long event featured addresses from Grab Group Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Anthony Tan, Indonesian government ministers and sector leaders, alongside demonstrations of Grab’s latest AI-powered innovations.

As AI moves from concept to large-scale implementation across Southeast Asia, cross-sector collaboration and responsible innovation have emerged as key priorities to unlock inclusive growth and strengthen the region’s global competitiveness.

-- BERNAMA