On 27 June, experts at CNBC’s East Tech West conference in Bangkok urged emerging economies to build governance in cloud computing by developing sovereign AI – homegrown systems tailored to local languages, value, and data control to reduce reliance on Western technology.
With 60% of ASEAN’s population under 35 and rapid digital growth, nations like Thailand are pushing for open-source AI models and domestic cloud infrastructure to guarantee cultural relevance and data sovereignty.
During the conference, the panelists warned that dependence on English-centric tools like OpenAI risks marginalizing local needs, urging investments in home-built servers, hardware, and governance.
Mere access to AI is no longer sufficient, with experts believe that countries must fashion their own AI systems, original in values and digital priorities. With a vast population and growing internet usage, South Asia is ready to lead this change manufacturing AI with a local flavor supported by AI and indigenous data sovereignty models.
Government Cloud Computing, National Data Sovereignty
Sovereign AI isn’t about tools, it’s about power. For many countries, and especially Southeast Asian ones, that means creating AI from scratch with languages, customs, and needs unique to the region. Depending on English-language tools like OpenAI or Anthropic won’t necessarily benefit local people.
Kasima Tharnpipitchai, AI strategy leader in SCB 10X, put it in a nutshell.
“The way you think, the way you interact with the world, the way you are when you speak another language can be very different,” Tharnpipitchai said.
Creating translating models for a different culture is not sufficient. They need their own.
With nearly 700 million citizens and digitally literate youths of more than 60% under the age of 35 years, the ASEAN community has both the capability and desire to develop its own AI systems. The pace of internet growth in the area also helps facilitate cloud data residency aspirations, whereby countries are able to better control and safeguard their own data stored locally on servers.
One of the most important steps in the direction of developing sovereign AI cloud systems is to use open-source AI models. These editable programs with no direct end-user license charges let countries and developers bring models based on their own values and needs.
“There is plenty of amazing talent here in Southeast Asia and in Thailand, especially. To have that captured in a way that isn’t publicly accessible, or ecosystem development would feel like a shame,” said SCB 10X’s Tharnpipitchai.
The second essential building block is having access to computational resources. International players like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Tencent Cloud, and domestic ones like The AIS Cloud and True IDC, are increasingly providing access to high-capacity AI creation.
AI’s $4.8 trillion market by 2030 risks uneven gains unless emerging nations participate. The UN urges shared infrastructure, open-source investment, and AI governance via cloud providers.
Developing a sovereign AI cloud lets nations control their digital futures.
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