While the AI research ecosystem is growing, there is still limited research into how AI can positively transform economies and societies. In light of this, United Nations ESCAP, APRU, and Google partnered in 2018 to fill this void by setting up the AI for Social Good Project and bringing together regional scholars and experts from industry and government. The project objective was to develop insights into how to cultivate an ecosystem that will foster and enhance AI for Social Good and identify government approaches that will address the challenges associated with AI while maximizing the technology’s potential in Asia Pacific.

Led by Keio University, academics from eight APRU member universities and international institutions across the Asia-Pacific region with representatives from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand developed a set of eight research-based policy papers, collated and featured in the AI for Social Good report, providing various perspectives on what AI for social good may look like in this region. A Project Advisory Board of multi-stakeholder experts from Australia, Hong Kong, , India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and Thailand provided advice and input throughout the development of the project. See the final AI for Social Good report published in August 2020 for more details.

This report presents details and findings from the AI for Social Good Summit which took place between October and November 2020.