The race to secure critical minerals has intensified at the same time as the international community has recognised the need for more sustainable and responsible mining practices. Translating the resulting frameworks and guidelines into concrete action will require consolidating Global South policy and advocacy networks.
The region’s stake in AI is not simply which great power builds the most capable model. The key is to ensure that AI remains affordable, locally relevant, continuously available and politically accessible.
Southeast Asian countries are seeking to adopt some measure of autonomy in the AI technology competition between China and the US. The question is whether such efforts can be successful.
Southeast Asian countries face two dilemmas in the Sino-US AI chip war: aligning their technology stacks with either of the great powers and preventing the illegal diversion of restricted chips.