AI Governance Takes Center Stage in ASEAN-Stanford HAI Workshop

AI dialogue in Southeast Asia: Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) conducted a workshop with ASEAN leaders to discuss the impact of AI on governance, fairness, and regional cooperation.

• The workshop, held in collaboration with The Asia Foundation, took place before ASEAN’s Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology, and Innovation in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
• Stanford faculty members Jeff Hancock and Sanmi Koyejo led discussions on AI governance, bias, fairness, and trust with digital ministry officials, technologists, and ASEAN community members.
• The event highlighted the growing importance of AI in both local and global governance, with a particular focus on generative AI as an emerging technology.

Regional context and challenges: Southeast Asia, representing 8.5% of the world’s population, faces common questions about AI’s challenges and opportunities despite its diverse geographical, cultural, and economic landscape.

• ASEAN member states expressed a strong desire to work together on policies that can benefit the region as a whole, leveraging the ASEAN structure’s convening power.
• Key challenges identified by delegates included expanding access to computing power, mitigating the energy needs of AI systems, and attracting international investment for infrastructure development, such as building new data centers.
• Concerns were raised about trust, fairness in AI decision-making, and potential downstream impacts like widespread job loss.

Stanford HAI’s broader initiative: The workshop is part of Stanford HAI’s program focused on the Asia Pacific region, which aims to support policymakers and civil society in harnessing AI’s potential while mitigating its risks.

• The program, in collaboration with The Asia Foundation, produces research, offers educational training, and hosts convenings for stakeholders in the region.
• This initiative allows Stanford HAI to bring its research directly to delegates from across ASEAN’s ten member states, fostering a human-centered approach to AI development and deployment.

Outcomes and future directions: The workshop sparked continued discussions in ASEAN ministerial meetings and led to new AI initiatives within the organization.

• ASEAN announced plans to establish a senior-level working group on AI governance.
• The organization also intends to develop an ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics.
• Stanford faculty emphasized the value of two-way dialogue, noting that insights from ASEAN delegates could inspire new research collaborations and policy approaches.

Significance for AI governance: The workshop underscores the growing importance of international cooperation and dialogue in addressing the complex challenges posed by AI technologies.

• By bringing together academic experts and regional policymakers, the event facilitated a crucial exchange of ideas and perspectives on AI governance.
• The focus on human-centered AI aligns with global efforts to ensure that AI development and deployment prioritize ethical considerations and societal benefits.
• This collaboration between Stanford HAI and ASEAN demonstrates the potential for academic institutions to play a vital role in shaping international AI policy and governance frameworks.