Governance Through Dialogue

Effective AI governance cannot be built in isolation. As Southeast Asian nations navigate rapid AI adoption across diverse political, economic, and cultural contexts, the region needs infrastructure for sustained dialogue where government officials, researchers, civil society leaders, and international experts can engage the unique challenges and opportunities AI presents in Asian contexts.

In 2025, AI Safety Asia (AISA) convened a comprehensive Southeast Asia Roundtable Series spanning six events across the region's major capitals: Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and a tri-nation discussion connecting Ho Chi Minh City, Bandar Seri Begawan, and Vientiane. These convenings brought together leading experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to develop shared understanding of AI governance challenges while respecting the heterogeneity that defines Southeast Asia.

The series represented more than knowledge exchange—it established foundational infrastructure for regional AI governance cooperation, creating networks among decision-makers who will shape how 700 million Southeast Asians experience AI's societal impact.

Convening Power and High-Level Engagement

The roundtables' impact stemmed directly from the convening of genuinely influential stakeholders—not merely participants interested in AI governance, but decision-makers with authority to translate dialogue into policy action.

In Manila, the roundtable secured both endorsement and active participation from the Philippines' Department of Science and Technology, signaling government recognition of AI governance as a national priority. Pak Gita Wirjawan, Indonesia's former Minister of Trade, spoke at the Jakarta roundtable, and brought ministerial-level strategic perspective and demonstrated AI governance's relevance to economic policy and international trade frameworks.

Singapore's roundtable featured Wan Sie from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the agency driving Singapore's AI governance frameworks and digital economy strategy. IMDA's engagement ensured discussions connected directly to one of Southeast Asia's most advanced AI governance architectures, providing practical insights for other nations navigating similar challenges at different stages of digital maturity.

The series also bridged Global North and Southeast Asian perspectives through strategic participation from international AI governance leaders. Robert Trager brought academic rigor and insights from Oxford's approach to AI safety research. Benjamin Prud-homme from Mila, one of the world's premier AI research institutes, contributed technical perspectives on responsible AI development. Yonah Welker and Hoda A. Alkhzaimi added additional international expertise, ensuring Southeast Asian discussions benefited from global best practices while maintaining focus on regional contexts.

This constellation of participants—from cabinet-level officials to technical AI researchers to civil society advocates—reflected AISA's conviction that effective governance requires genuinely multistakeholder engagement, not symbolic diversity.

Regional Diversity as Strategic Asset

The series' geographic scope was deliberate. By convening across Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and the tri-nation discussion, AISA ensured that perspectives from Southeast Asia's full diversity shaped the emerging regional AI governance conversation.

Jakarta brought Indonesia's scale and democratic governance context—how does the world's fourth most populous nation and third largest democracy govern AI for 275 million citizens across thousands of islands? Manila contributed the Philippines' experience balancing rapid digital adoption with democratic institutions and robust civil society engagement. Singapore offered insights from advanced digital infrastructure and sophisticated regulatory approaches that other nations might adapt to their contexts.

Kuala Lumpur centered Malaysia's efforts to position itself as an AI hub while managing governance challenges across a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. Bangkok brought Thailand's perspective as Southeast Asia's second-largest economy navigating AI governance amid democratic transitions and rapid economic development.

The tri-nation discussion connecting Ho Chi Minh City, Bandar Seri Begawan, and Vientiane ensured that Vietnam, Brunei, and Laos—nations often underrepresented in regional AI governance conversations—contributed their perspectives and challenges to the collective dialogue.

This geographic breadth transformed the roundtable series from individual events into genuine regional infrastructure, building relationships and shared frameworks across the diverse contexts that define Southeast Asia.

From Dialogue to Regional Ecosystem

The roundtable series' ultimate impact extends beyond individual convenings to the relationships and shared frameworks it established. These networks represent critical infrastructure for Southeast Asia's AI governance ecosystem. As nations develop strategies, draft legislation, and implement oversight mechanisms, they can now draw on regional knowledge networks rather than operating in isolation. When novel governance challenges emerge, Southeast Asian stakeholders possess established channels for coordinating responses.

View the full AISA Southeast Asia Roundtable Series at AISA’s Youtube channel.