APEC's flexible framework could help build equitable AI rules for Asia-Pacific nations

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's non-binding framework could prove instrumental in developing a more equitable regulatory system for artificial intelligence, experts said at a recent event in southern China. They warned that current innovation trends risk primarily benefiting only a handful of countries and corporations, leaving developing nations further behind in the global AI race.

Speaking at the gathering, Chung Chul, senior vice-president of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, emphasized that the economic gap between member nations is "widening, not shrinking." He stressed that an inclusive framework to address this inequality "cannot be treated as a residual outcome" but must be considered at the design stage itself, before technology deployment occurs. Chung argued that this principle should be fundamental to any form of technological cooperation and innovation across the region.

"The central policy question is not whether APEC should use AI but whether the region can scale innovation without widening the gap," Chung said, reframing the debate around equitable growth rather than mere adoption of new technologies.

Data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development highlights the severity of this concentration, showing that the global AI landscape and its rule-making processes remain heavily concentrated in the hands of a small group of nations and roughly 100 corporations. This centralization underscores the risk that AI advancement will disproportionately benefit only select countries and businesses, participants cautioned.

As potential solutions, speakers proposed joint programmes and making full use of APEC's flexible structures. The forum's voluntary, consensus-based approach to cooperation could offer a less rigid pathway for members at different technological development stages to collaborate on standards without the constraints of binding treaties, potentially creating a more inclusive framework for the region's diverse economies.