HTI is partnering with the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to promote safe, responsible and effective artificial intelligence (AI) in the Asia-Pacific region.
Image Credit: Shutterstock, Anton Balazh
HTI will work collaboratively with experts from government, civil society and industry in the Asia-Pacific region to better understand:
- priorities for the development and deployment of AI for countries in the Asia-Pacific,
- barriers to safe, responsible and effective AI, and
- practical steps that can support our shared aims.
This project will be launched during the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025, where HTI will convene two major events with the Australian Government.
The first will be an expert roundtable where a group of leading experts will discuss how wise infrastructure, policy and capability building can support governments, civil society and industry across the Asia-Pacific to develop and adopt AI in safe, responsible and effective ways.
The second event will be an official Summit side event, co-hosted by the Australian and Malaysian Governments at the Australian Embassy in Paris. A group of senior government, civil society and industry leaders will draw on the expert roundtable to identify the priority actions, investment and regulatory settings required to unlock transformative benefits of AI equitably and safely.
After the AI Action Summit, the project will focus on consultation and engagement in the Asia-Pacific region. HTI will develop issues papers that draw out the issues raised by key stakeholders, and it will culminate in advice for DFAT’s future capacity-building for sustainable and locally-appropriate approaches to AI.
Like Australia, the Asia-Pacific region is at a critical juncture in AI adoption – AI presents transformative opportunities for development, but states often lack the governance frameworks, reliable access to critical infrastructure, technical capacity and resources. -HTI Co-Director Professor Nicholas Davis
“This project presents a genuine opportunity for collaboration and sharing of experience between Australia and its partners in the region, especially in areas such as government policy on AI, regulatory responses to AI and the experience of rapid market shifts,” said HTI Co-Director, Professor Edward Santow.
“While there is a proliferation of global fora on AI, few initiatives have been designed with, and hosted in, the Pacific and Southeast Asian regions, and too often key regional stakeholders are not included in discussions. Australia is committed to working with countries in our neighbourhood to support and empower the adoption of safe, secure and responsible AI for a prosperous, inclusive and secure digital future,” said Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Brendan Dowling.