Who Owns the Machine? Southeast Asia's AI Revolution

Southeast Asia is racing to adopt artificial intelligence. But a critical question remains: who will truly benefit from this new technology? The region faces a familiar problem. Every major technological shift forces societies to decide who gains and who loses. With AI, this means asking: Who will own the advanced systems? Who will operate them? Who will profit from the wealth they create? And, crucially, who will pay the price when jobs are replaced? The answers will shape the region's economic future. Governments and companies are now grappling with these difficult choices as the AI revolution accelerates.