Countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) have unveiled ambitious plans to become the leading region for artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and innovation, citing bilateral cooperation and public-private partnerships.
According to a report by China Daily, keynote speakers at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit highlighted APAC’s unique position at the intersection of innovation and digital transformation. Nitin Mittal, global AI leader at Deloitte, disclosed that Asia will outperform Europe and the United States in terms of AI innovation by the end of the decade.
Mittal noted that APAC’s deep talent pool for emerging technologies and support for open-source innovation will see it lead the pace in the coming years. Furthermore, the Deloitte executive added that sizable investments in infrastructure across the region are a clear indicator of future dominance in AI.
The APEC CEO Summit ran concurrently with the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, with attendees adopting an AI initiative to trigger increased economic growth in the region. Marked by an increase in private investment in AI infrastructure, the region-backed initiative marks the first leader-level consensus on AI.
Despite the positive outlook by the decade’s end, speakers at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting pushed for greater levels of cooperation between countries. Kim Wan-joong, an adviser to the 2025 APEC CEO Summit Secretariat, disclosed that true AI progress cannot be achieved by a single nation, advocating for joint efforts across the region.
“We have to use AI smartly and work together,” said Wan-joong. “That means the governments should take the initiative together.”
On the issue of regional collaboration, attendees underscored potential areas of cooperation between China and South Korea. Both countries have deployed significant resources in AI research and development, with companies from both nations enjoying growing cross-market freedom.
Amid the deepening technological interdependence between the countries, experts are urging China and South Korea to lead the charge in establishing AI ethics and norms.
Elsewhere, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. have signed a cooperation agreement to foster greater collaboration in emerging technologies and renewable energy.
UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and a posse of diplomats in Abu Dhabi. Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral cooperation in support of their mutual interests.
Both parties will collaborate on improving their advanced industrial capabilities by adopting smart manufacturing technologies. The MoU will involve research on broadening use cases for AI and energy.
The MoU makes provision for knowledge-sharing, skills development, and talent exchange between both nations. Parties to the agreement revealed plans to launch a raft of training initiatives to deepen the talent pool for emerging technologies.
The bilateral agreement with the U.S. aligns with the UAE’s long-term plan to become a global technology powerhouse, diversifying its economy from oil-based to a digital-first system. Last year, the UAE signaled an intention to turn to the U.S. for AI and technology collaboration over China.
Racking up the wins in AI
Keen on maintaining its lead as a regional powerhouse, the UAE has thrown its weight behind its home-grown AI models. Last year, a report revealed that UAE-made AI models can compete favorably with U.S.-made large language models (LLMs) while having the additional perk of cultural nuance.
The Gulf nation has since established a new charter to ensure safe AI usage in line with international best practices. Despite racking a 61% AI growth rate in a single year, critics are amplifying concerns for the UAE’s government using the technology for state surveillance and control.
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