(Pre-AI Action Summit) From Oil to Water: Governing AI as a Global Public Good
VIEW EVENT DETAILSA Europe - Asia dialogue

For years, we've been told that "data is the new oil" - a metaphor that has shaped how we think about, value, and govern the digital economy. But this comparison fundamentally mischaracterizes the nature of data and threatens to concentrate digital power in the hands of a few global tech superpowers. Oil is finite, extractive, and inherently competitive. Data is something else entirely.
Data, like water, is both fundamental and fluid. This isn't just a clever metaphor - it's a paradigm shift that could transform how we approach digital governance.
Like water, data, flows freely across borders and boundaries, can be pure or polluted, life-giving or destructive, is essential for human flourishing, becomes more valuable when shared and circulated. It must be carefully stewarded as a public good. Just as access to clean water is recognized as a fundamental human right, perhaps it's time to establish similar principles for data and the computational resources needed to process it. And just as civilizations historically emerged where water meets land, today's digital civilization is taking shape where data meets artificial intelligence.
This water-based paradigm becomes especially relevant when we consider the geopolitics of AI governance. While Western frameworks often emphasize individual data rights, Asian approaches have historically balanced individual rights with collective welfare. These cultural differences in how societies view the relationship between individual and community could enrich our approach to data governance. Just as water management requires international cooperation and shared stewardship across borders, the governance of data and AI demands a new kind of global dialogue that transcends the current US-China binary and incorporates diverse cultural perspectives on rights, responsibilities, and the public good.
Organizing a global forum with architects of change to explore this paradigm for data governance is not just timely—it's essential. By fostering dialogue between different cultural perspectives and governance traditions, we can move beyond the limitations of the "data as oil" metaphor and develop more sustainable, equitable frameworks for managing our shared digital resources.
4.30 - 6 PM: Roundtable
6 - 7.30 PM: Cocktail
Speakers
Lyantoniette Chua, Speaker
Co-founder and Director for Programs & Stakeholder Relations of AI Safety Asia (AISA), Lyantoniette is a leading voice in AI governance from Southeast Asia. Lyan is a 2022 Fellow of the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP) in Washington DC and listed among 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2024. She also founded The Ambit, an AI Governance network representing the Global Majority/Global Souths and led as its Global Convenor, which set Philippines No. 2 bright spot out of 130+ countries on defending human rights and AI as reported in the 2024 Global Index for Responsible AI.
Dr. Yuko Harayama, Speaker
Dr. Yuko Harayama is the Secretary General of the GPAI Tokyo Expert Support Center and a former Executive Director charged of international affairs at RIKEN. Prior to joining RIKEN, she spent five years at the Cabinet Office of Japan as an Executive Member of the Council for Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan, two years at the OECD as the Deputy Director of the Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, and ten years at the Graduate School of Engineering of Tohoku University as a Professor of Management Science and Technology.
Nicolas Miailhe, Speaker
Nicolas (Nico) Miailhe is the co-founder of PRISM Eval, a Paris-based AI safety evaluation organization focused on LLM Cognitive Science. Previously, he founded and led The Future Society (2014-2023), pioneering AI governance frameworks globally. He serves as an expert for the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), where he co-chairs the Climate Action & Biodiversity Committee, and advises the OECD and UNESCO on AI ethics. Miailhe has taught AI Governance at Sciences Po Paris and IE Madrid, where he is also a Future World Fellow. He holds degrees from Harvard Kennedy School (MPA), Panthéon-Assas University (Master in Defense), and Sciences Po Strasbourg (BA in International Relations).
Edward Tsoi, Moderator
Edward Tsoi is a pioneering force at the intersection of technology and social impact in Asia. As Co-Founder of AI Safety Asia (AISA), he champions responsible AI development across the region. His entrepreneurial success includes scaling the APAC business at a late-stage startup with over $100M raised, while his humanitarian work through Connecting Myanmar demonstrates his commitment to leveraging technology for social good. Drawing from his experience as a former board member of Amnesty International Hong Kong, Edward bridges the corporate-NGO divide, advising initiatives that align business growth with social responsibility.
Event Partner
This event is presented by Asia Society France & AI Safety Asia

Event Details
Hotel Warwick, 5 Rue de Berri, 75008, Paris, France