
“As we release this report, APEC economies are facing the twin threats of a global pandemic and an economic crisis that will leave its mark on our communities for years to come. How APEC economies address the accelerated rise of the digital economy and leverage new technologies like AI is one of the most pressing issues of our times”.
Dato Rohana Tan Sri Mahmood
APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Chair 2020
6 Key Recommendations to Support Widespread AI Adoption across APEC Economies
Presently, AI is contemplated within APEC as a technology issue. Rather, it should be viewed through the lens of economic opportunity and seen as central to forward-looking economic policy.
As APEC member economies look at their potential growth, and APEC leaders collaborate to pursue economic growth for the region, ABAC urges APEC leaders to:
- Recognize the many ways AI is already having on-the-ground impact on business practices, processes, models, and opportunities;
- Use this information to make evidence-based, policy decisions on AI; and
- Position AI as a key component of overarching economic agendas, as well as of sector-specific digital transformation plans.
Concerns about AI not being used ethically can undermine public confidence in AI and impair business opportunities. Businesses are beginning to address these concerns by building fairness, responsibility, and ethics into the AI systems they develop and adopt.
As APEC member economies design, implement, or adjust AI strategies and frameworks, and APEC leaders launch multilateral discussions and agreements on AI, ABAC urges APEC leaders to:
- Encourage regulators, industry, and other stakeholders to make fairness, transparency, accountability, explainability, and ethics part of the design and implementation process of AI products and services;
- Support and drive the emergence of sector-specific, industry-led efforts to develop ethical principles, guidelines, and frameworks for AI; and
- Launch targeted revisions or adjustments to outdated or inadequate regulations that may hinder the public’s understanding of and confidence in AI.
AI, like other digital technologies that have transformed entire sectors, is most impactful on economic growth when supported by sound, coherent public policy that encourages innovation and creates market opportunities.
As businesses in APEC economies turn to AI to maximize relevance, profitability, and competitiveness, ABAC urges APEC leaders to:
- Drive AI adoption by using AI to improve government business processes and the delivery of citizen services;
- Develop government AI investment and procurement schemes to support the emergence of an ecosystem of AI entrepreneurs, SMEs, and researchers;
- Work closely with AI specialists in industry and academia to develop AI policies and regulations that encourage innovation while protecting public interest; and
- Lean on the expertise and knowledge of the broad spectrum of AI stakeholders to ensure policies and regulation effectively reflect on-the-ground needs and expectations.
Regulations and frameworks that have common core principles help businesses help businesses reduce compliance costs, especially as they extend their business models across jurisdictions.
As APEC economies develop AI frameworks and strategies, ABAC urges APEC to:
- Strengthen AI-specific cross-regional cooperation initiatives to achieve greater regulatory coherence and consistency across the APEC region; and
- Encourage regulators, industry, and other stakeholders to collaborate to develop a coherent regional approach to regulation and compliance for AI.
Economies will see the greatest positive impact of AI on the workforce with sufficient reform in education and the availability of workforce training and reskilling, particularly related to computer science and STEM subjects, but also the so-called ‘soft skills’, which allow workers to trade on their uniquely human capabilities: complex problem solving, cognitive flexibility, emotional intelligence, creativity, and critical thinking.
As APEC economies turn to AI and other data-driven technologies to plan and operationalize their post-COVID-19 economic recovery, ABAC urges APEC to:
- Equip students and workers with the skills to navigate a rapidly evolving and increasingly uncertain job market;
- Strengthen workforce training and reskilling programs;
- Help businesses address the rising AI talent gap by making retraining a key pillar of education policies; and
- Collaborate at the regional level to ensure AI knowledge, skills, competencies, and certifications are transferable across APEC economies.
The COVID-19 crisis gives governments and businesses within APEC economies the chance to ‘re-boot’ the economy in a way that addresses short-term market needs and supports long-term economic objectives.
As APEC economies develop AI frameworks and strategies, ABAC urges APEC to:
- Encourage governments and international aid programs to evaluate how to best invest in post-COVID-19 economic recovery;
- Further drive plans and initiatives targeting the improvement of basic and crucial connectivity to underserved communities; and
- Ensure the dividends of technology-driven growth and prosperity benefit businesses as well as communities.
AI Case Studies from APEC Member Economies
Today AI is being applied to address immediate productivity, profitability and competition challenges of all sizes and from all sectors as well as more long-term issues that require complex, multi-layered solutions.