As the US-China tech rivalry deepens, a UN agency is pushing for global standards on AI ethics.

UNESCO held its third Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Bangkok from June 25 to 27, aiming to promote its global recommendations.

The event drew over 1,000 participants, including 35 ministers from Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. However, major AI players like OpenAI and Google, along with delegations from the US and China, were notably absent.

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay urged governments, businesses, and civil society to work together on an international framework that ensures AI serves the collective good.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra unveiled plans to train 90,000 AI professionals and invest over US$15 billion in AI infrastructure.

Thai officials also emphasized a neutral stance in the global tech power struggle.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Regional powers developing independent AI policies amid great power tensions

Thailand’s approach demonstrates how middle powers are charting their own AI governance paths rather than choosing sides in the US-China rivalry.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra explicitly stated Thailand “would not take sides in the US-China competition” while detailing ambitious national goals including training 90,000 AI professionals and investing $15 billion in AI infrastructure.

This independent stance reflects a broader pattern among ASEAN nations who are becoming more assertive in technology policy, as evidenced by the strong representation of regional policymakers at the UNESCO forum despite the absence of American and Chinese government delegations.

The forum provided a platform specifically for voices from the “global south” countries to articulate their unique priorities, with UNESCO’s AI ethics head Irakli Khodeli noting that nations have diverging focuses, some emphasizing security while others prioritize access to AI technologies.

This regional independence is emerging precisely when global consensus seems increasingly unlikely, as demonstrated by recent US legislative moves to ban China-linked AI tools like DeepSeek from federal use.

2️⃣ Translating ethical AI principles into enforceable governance remains a critical challenge

UNESCO’s “readiness assessment methodology” represents the difficult journey from broad principles to practical implementation in AI governance.