In the dynamic landscape of Southeast Asia, generative AI emerges as a beacon of inclusivity, heralding a new era of connectedness and shared prosperity. The impressive potential of generative AI, as outlined in McKinsey's 2023 report, positions it as a catalyst for unlocking up to US$4.4 trillion ($5.92 trillion) in global economic value. This innovative force promises to redefine sectors ranging from customer service to research and development, infusing them with newfound efficiency and creativity.
At the intersection of digital adoption and economic growth lies Southeast Asia, a region uniquely positioned to leverage the potential of generative AI. Studies — including Kearney's projection of an AI-injected US$1 trillion boost to the SEA economy by 2030 — see the region's potential as nothing short of transformative. In a world where e-commerce and digital services are rapidly expanding, Southeast Asia is primed to embrace the generative AI revolution.
Despite the region’s promise, a challenge looms large. The concentration of artificial intelligence (AI) expertise in a few dominant markets poses a risk of widening the global technological divide. It is essential for Southeast Asia to carve a path of open innovation and inclusivity to ensure that generative AI becomes a force for good and accessible to all.
The inclusive path forward with AI
At the heart of an inclusive AI strategy is the adoption of open and accessible Large Language Models (LLMs). These sophisticated tools must be sensitive to Southeast Asia’s diverse languages and cultures to be truly effective.
For instance, DAMO Academy's open-source multi-lingual SeaLLMs (available on Hugging Face) are designed to support non-Latin languages effectively including Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Khmer and Burmese. The models also perform well to local customs and cultures. By promoting open-source access to these models, we can empower a wide range of individuals and businesses to innovate and tailor AI to their unique contexts, democratising the technology's potential.
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A robust digital infrastructure serves as the backbone of this inclusive vision, ensuring that generative AI's benefits are not the exclusive preserve of large enterprises but are equally accessible to the region's vibrant small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector and app developer community. This calls for high-speed internet, local data centres, and advanced cloud services. Coupling those with “model-as-a-service” like Alibaba Cloud’s ModelScope to further help lower the thresholds to AI model development, Southeast Asia can nurture an innovation landscape where the cost of entry is no longer a barrier to AI adoption.
Other considerations
Today, industries are demanding to vigorously advance generative AI while stakeholders are highly expected to collaborate on generative AI regulatory guidelines. A balance should, therefore, be achieved among enablement, growth and safety in the development of generative AI. In line with that, Alibaba Cloud has set up guiding principles for our AI development to make technologies “available, reliable, credible and controllable.” We invested in technologies — such as privacy-preserving computation and explainable AI — to increase our algorithm’s transparency and fairness, protect our users’ privacy and enhance data security.
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As AI technologies like generative AI become more prevalent, discussions often turn to their potential impact on the workforce. Concerns about job displacement are valid and warrant thoughtful consideration. However, the inclusive approach to generative AI recognises the technology's role as an enabler, one that augments human capabilities for higher efficiency and new opportunities. So, we should work towards upskilling and reskilling to prepare the workforce for a future where human creativity and machine intelligence co-exist in synergy.
By emphasising the development of regional expertise through education and specialised training, Southeast Asia can build a reservoir of professionals who not only possess advanced technical skills but also an intimate understanding of local contexts. Such an initiative ensures that the expansion of AI technology is paired with economic empowerment, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem of innovation and opportunity.
The generative AI era holds untold potential for the global economy and Southeast Asia looks set to gain a lot from it. While its diverse markets have their own journeys, there are encouraging signs and signals about their respective abilities to thrive in the dawn of the generative AI era. By embracing holistic strategies that focus on empowering its people with the technology, infrastructure, and training opportunities needed to unlock and leverage generative AI, we believe the region is well-popised to achieve inclusive growth and economic transformation. As we continue to support the region's journey, we are offering a vision of a connected and prosperous Southeast Asia.
Selina Yuan is the president of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence
