The rapid growth of artificial intelligence ("AI") has shone a light on the pressing need to manage its development and inherent risks. While AI solutions bring significant transformative potential, governments have been seeking to establish national frameworks within which AI development and deployment can be duly monitored and controlled. One of the challenges of such AI frameworks is that they are often jurisdiction-specific, while the propagation of AI commonly crosses national boundaries, resulting in potentially differing standards and requirements. Governments have thus been looking towards greater cooperation in AI framework building and standards equivalence to provide for more efficiency in cross-border AI deployment.
In this regard, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ("ASEAN") member states have issued the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics ("ASEAN AI Guide"), which was unveiled at the 4th ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting on 2 February 2024. The ASEAN AI Guide establishes common principles and recommends best practices on the implementation of trustworthy AI in ASEAN. It seeks to help promote consumer confidence and facilitate cross-border deployment of AI services and solutions throughout the ASEAN region.
The ASEAN AI Guide sets out seven guiding principles which aim to ensure trust in AI and the design, development, and deployment of ethical AI systems:
- Transparency and Explainability;
- Fairness and Equity;
- Security and Safety;
- Robustness and Reliability;
- Human-centricity;
- Privacy and Data Governance; and
- Accountability and Integrity.
For more information, click here to read our Legal Update.
