The government should focus more on talent development if it wants to make artificial intelligence technology a part of its national priority, a forum was told today.
In order to drive future development through technological innovation, Thailand’s labour force needs to be upskilled, David Li, CEO of Huawei Technologies Thailand, said today.
Thai industries are keener to apply new technology and develop new business models compared to their peers across the globe, so the government needs to explore ways to develop and apply AI technology to put innovation into overdrive, he said at the “Innovation Driving Thai for the New Future” seminar, part of the Bangkok Post Forum 2023.
Despite society’s general receptiveness to new technology, very few Thai workplaces have actually digitised their operations to increase their efficiency, Mr Li noted.
As the use of AI technology has become more common across many industries, the Huawei Technologies Thailand CEO said it has now become imperative for the labour force to catch up, in order to reap the most benefits from their application.
He cited a McKinsey study which said the adoption of AI technology across many sectors, including healthcare, education, financial risk management and meteorology, will add between US$2.6-4 trillion to the global economy.
In fact, many countries in the region have made AI a part of their national strategy, with Singapore leading the way back in 2020. “[These countries] are not just adopting technology, but fundamentally rethinking business models to reap gains and stimulate new areas of growth,” he said.
“We firmly believe that Thailand, too, should be a creator of advanced technologies in this space.”
CHALLENGES TO GOING DIGITAL
When it comes to digital transformation, three key aspects need to be taken care of, namely data infrastructure, real-life application and talent preparedness, he said.
In Thailand, the push to go digital has been supported by increased investment in infrastructure development. What the government needs to do now, he said, is focus on building on the capacity of its human resources, and support the application of AI-based technology across many industries.
He said the government cannot rely on private investments to drive the change — instead, it needs to simultaneously invest in further developing its ICT infrastructure, to ensure the ecosystem is open, in sync and transparent.
LOCALISED AI
Mr Li said Huawei is firmly committed to cultivating more digital talents, providing the best quality services to partners like Thailand, and continuing investments in local data centres.
The company is also committed to bringing the country the most advanced technology to help turn it into the region’s hub for ICT, he said.
More importantly, Huawei will continue to work with local universities and other organisations to launch localised codes and applications that will enhance thousands of industries, he noted.
For example, during the recent Huawei Connect 2023 event in China, the company announced the Pangu weather forecasting model in partnership with the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).
This model has already been proven to be 20% more accurate than traditional prediction technologies, thereby improving preparedness for extreme weather and reducing losses, he said.
Mr Li said over the past 24 years Huawei has become one of the drivers of Thailand’s digital transformation, employing around 2,000 people in the country, about 77% of which are local employees, and indirectly providing 6,500 jobs nationwide.
Huawei has also invested 1.4 billion baht in building three local data centres in Thailand.
To date, Huawei has trained more than 70,000 talents with over 300 of its partners, including local universities.