TLDR: Singapore recently convened regional policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders at the 2025 PECC Conference to advance responsible AI governance and prepare for AI-driven transformation. Discussions emphasized the critical need for trustworthy, secure, and equitable AI deployment, highlighting the importance of localized models, cross-border data sharing, and empowering local enterprises to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
Singapore recently hosted the 2025 PECC Conference, bringing together a diverse group of regional policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders. The primary focus of the conference was to explore strategies for accelerating responsible AI governance and preparing for the transformative impact of artificial intelligence across various sectors. The event underscored Singapore’s commitment to fostering a collaborative environment for AI development and deployment in the region.
In her opening address, Denise Wong, Assistant Chief Executive at the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), delivered a compelling call for collective action. She urged attendees to work together to harness AI’s immense potential while simultaneously ensuring its responsible, safe, and equitable use. Wong highlighted the tangible value AI is already generating within the region, citing examples such as optimized route planning in logistics, streamlined hospital workflows, and the transformation of how governments and businesses serve the public.
However, Wong also issued a cautionary note regarding the risks associated with unchecked AI, warning that it could lead to unreliable outcomes and societal harms. She stressed that ‘Trustworthy, secure and reliable AI is critical to facilitate adoption.’ A key theme of her address was the imperative to ensure that AI models are aligned with local languages, laws, and societal values. To illustrate this point, she referenced SEA-LION, an open-source multilingual model specifically trained for Southeast Asia by AI Singapore, which has been further adapted by Indonesia’s GoTo for Bahasa Indonesia. These initiatives, she noted, demonstrate how localization significantly enhances the relevance and trustworthiness of AI outputs.
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Furthermore, Wong emphasized the necessity of increased cross-border knowledge sharing, particularly concerning local model training and fine-tuning, to accelerate AI development for all. She also addressed the challenge of empowering local enterprises to build AI applications, noting that this requires not only innovation but also access to quality, use-case-specific data. Data availability, she pointed out, remains a significant barrier, with a global survey indicating that 42% of respondents identified it as a top challenge. To overcome this, Wong highlighted the role of policies that responsibly unlock data, citing regional mechanisms like the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (GCBPR) and ASEAN’s Model Contractual Clauses as pathways to improving cross-border data flows while ensuring compliance. Singapore’s proactive efforts in promoting Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) were also mentioned as part of its broader strategy to build a robust and trustworthy AI ecosystem.
