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Asian Angle | Southeast Asia needs AI sovereignty – the Grok scandal proved it
From Singapore’s SEA-LION to Malaysia’s ILMU, Southeast Asian nations aim to build AI that reflects their own languages, cultures and values
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In late December, Grok – the AI model developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI – released a feature that allowed users to generate non-consensual sexualised images of women and children.
Within a few weeks, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines took the unusual step of banning Grok after they deemed xAI’s initial mitigations insufficient. The ban was lifted only after xAI placed new restrictions on Grok’s image-generation capabilities.
While this episode was resolved, it underscores the risk that Southeast Asian countries face when depending on foreign AI models, particularly as the United States is currently limiting regulation of Big Tech.
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In the wake of this maelstrom, the opportunely timed AI for Developing Countries Forum gathered in early February to discuss AI sovereignty. At its Bangkok summit, delegates from over 100 countries adopted a declaration to pursue AI sovereignty, which entails the ability to control AI data, computing resources and, crucially, the models operating within their borders.
A critical component of AI sovereignty involves developing and retaining local talent, so that countries can become creators of AI models and applications, not simply consumers.
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