Page 91 - The Ethics of ASEAN

Ethical Challenges of our Digital World

Superhighway (2022-2026) prepared by the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UNESCAP) whose purpose is to reduce the digital divide and
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accelerate region-wide digital inclusion. Individual Member
States have also set up national initiatives such as Singapore’s
Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) and Thailand’s
Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry.
Despite these initiatives, Kelly Forbes underlines that
ASEAN is facing challenges positioning itself as neutral and non-
aligned in the face of intense AI competition between China and
the US which have very different AI ethical principles, especially
in the areas of privacy and transparency.
Kelly believes that although it is challenging for ASEAN laws
and policies to keep up with fast-paced technology innovation
and uses, having a working ethical framework for AI regulation
provides a legal space to assess emerging ethical issues as they
arise.

Philippa Penfold: ASEAN governments,
companies and education need to ethically
manage the AI-human experience of work
Philippa Penfold heads the AHDO Technology Committee and
is also a university lecturer, start-up mentor and HR advisor
for digital policy. Philippa talks about three areas of ethics
concerning the future of technology and work:
• Government policies and initiatives in ASEAN;
• Company workplace design and worker experience in
ASEAN;
• Tertiary education to prepare students for lifelong Figure 3: Philippa Penfold,
digital reskilling and upskilling. CEO and Co-Founder of
People Collider, Head
According to Philippa, the national and direct foreign investment of AHDO Technology
across ASEAN impacts decisions made by Member States in Committee
shaping employment opportunities and skill development. She
compares four countries: Singapore’s investment in its “smart
nation” development, Malaysia’s encouragement of corporate
partnership and establishment of cyber towns, Vietnam’s
investment in Research and Development and stated ethical
policy that AI should be concerned with socio-economic
development, and Indonesia’s public statement that AI is safe

6 Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (2022-2026) https://www.unescap.
org/sites/default/d8files/event-documents/Action%20Plan%20for%20
Implementation%20of%20the%20Asia-Pacific%20Information%20
Superhighway%20%282022-2026%29.pdf Downloaded on January 19, 2023

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