Mr Prasert displays the Generative AI Governance Guideline for Organizations publication.
The rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is driving significant economic impacts and enhancing social life, but also raises concerns about multiple risks.
This momentum has sparked the need for an AI governance framework to maximise the benefits of AI, while minimising its negative consequences.
By ensuring responsible and ethical AI deployment, AI governance increases confidence among businesses and governments, enabling them to deliver trustworthy AI products and services to users with greater assurance.
GenAI is a type of AI that can create new content such as images and videos.
Q: What is AI governance?
AI governance refers to the processes, standards and guardrails that help ensure that AI systems and tools are safe and ethical.
AI governance frameworks direct AI research, development and application to help ensure safety, fairness and respect for human rights, according to IBM.
Effective AI governance includes oversight mechanisms that address risks such as bias, privacy infringement and misuse, while fostering innovation and building trust.
An ethical AI-centred approach to AI governance requires the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders, including AI developers, users, policymakers and ethicists, ensuring that AI-related systems are developed and used to align with society’s values.
As AI is a product of highly engineered code and machine learning created by people, it is susceptible to human biases and errors that can result in discrimination and other harm to individuals, according to IBM.
Q: Why is AI governance important?
According to the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (Etda), because AI can cause damage and make incorrect decisions, governance is needed to direct its usage.
The goal is not only to ensure the successful application of AI by organisations but also to ensure they use AI with responsibility, according to Etda.
IBM noted that AI systems make decisions all the time, from deciding which ads to show to determining whether to approve a loan. It is essential to understand how AI systems make decisions to hold them accountable for their decisions and help ensure that they make them fairly and ethically.
Patama Chantaruck, country managing director at Accenture Thailand, said mitigating GenAI risks requires a strategic commitment to responsible AI.
Research found 98% of executives acknowledge the need for a more systematic approach to manage emerging technologies ethically.
To address this, organisations should establish governance frameworks, design AI systems to be trustworthy and fair, and enforce accountability at all levels, she added.
“With tools to detect bias and monitor fairness, companies can uphold transparency and public trust, ensuring AI is a tool for positive, ethical impact,” said Ms Patama.
Q: How is AI governance being developed in Thailand?
Supachai Pathumnakul, permanent secretary for the ministry of higher education, science, research and innovation (MHESI), said one pillar in the National AI master plan is ethical, legal and social implications.
The others are AI infrastructure, human capital, technology and innovation and AI promotion.
Prasert Jantararuangtong, the digital economy and society (DES) minister, said Thailand recently introduced the AI Governance Guideline for Executives and the Generative AI Governance Guideline for Organizations.
The guideline for organisations aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of GenAI technology in all its important dimensions.
This will enable the organisations to define clear and governance-aligned approaches to applying GenAI within their operations and minimise risk.
“AI represents the second era of digital transformation, offering more benefits than risks. However, it must be used carefully, consciously, and responsibly, with a focus on ethics and governance,” said Sak Segkhoonthod, senior advisor at Etda’s AI Governance Centre (AIGC).
Thailand has made significant strides in AI governance, particularly with the establishment of its AIGC two years ago.
The centre has received numerous inquiries from organisations about the legality and ethical implications of using AI tools such as ChatGPT.
This underscored the urgent need for a robust framework to ensure AI adoption aligns with Unesco’s ethical guidelines and international standards, Mr Sak added.
Thailand developed a series of recommendations and guidelines for AI adoption, inspired by Unesco’s 2021 AI ethics recommendation. These guidelines, which were approved by Thailand’s government, aim to ensure AI is used ethically across Thai organisations.
Starting in 2025, all government agencies in Thailand will be required to follow these standards. Additionally, Thailand collaborated with Unesco to implement the Readiness Assessment Methodology, which helps assess and guide AI adoption ethically.
Mr Sak said Etda also offers to help organisations develop AI governance frameworks that are suitable for Thailand’s context and in line with international policies.
Q: Why does Thailand lack an AI law?
Mr Sak said Thailand is focused on understanding and keeping up with AI developments, which is why the AI law has not yet been developed.
“The technology is rapidly evolving, and overregulating it could disrupt the ecosystem. We might have an AI law in the next few years,” he said.
However, there are governance guidelines in place to educate the public and organisations on how to adopt AI responsibly and ethically, he said.
The regulators in some sectors, like healthcare, are considering specific AI regulations, as well as potential restrictions on AI use for children.
The country’s existing laws such as the Personal Data Protection Law, intellectual property rights and the Computer Crime Act also support liability in cases such as privacy violations or personal damage.
Mr Sak said that Etda is currently working on guidelines for AI procurement.
In 2024, AI adoption plans among Thai organisations reached 73.3%, up nearly 20 percentage points from the previous year, according to the AI Readiness Measurement 2024 report by Etda and the National Science and Technology Development Agency.
The DES Ministry, in collaboration with the MHESI, the Education Ministry and Unesco, are co-hosting the 3rd Unesco Global Forum on the Ethics of AI 2025 in Bangkok under the theme “Ethical Governance of AI in Motion”. The forum is scheduled for June 24-27, 2025, marking the first international conference of its kind in Asia-Pacific.
