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Artificial Intelligence and Data

  • Raising Standards
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction: Setting the Context
  • Policy Playbook
  • Data Reports
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Viet Nam
  • AI Reports
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Viet Nam
  • Conclusion
  • About
  • Resources
  • Consolidated Research & Statistics

Consolidated Research & Statistics

MSME Statistics

Breakdown of STEM Professionals by Gender

Disability Statistics

Participation in International Standards-Setting Bodies

Government AI Readiness Index 2021

Data Centers in Southeast Asia

Data Protection Laws and National AI Policies


Bulletpoint

MSME STATISTICS

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) make up an overwhelming majority of businesses in each of the five countries studied in this report. As a result, they are often a key constituency of governments’ digitalization efforts. In this section, we delve deeper into the key facts and figures of MSMEs in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia

Indonesia MSMEs

Malaysia

Malaysia MSMEs
Bulletpoint

“Only about one in three businesses in Malaysia has implemented digital transformation strategies, while less than one in four businesses has a dedicated digital strategy team. Malaysia also has “fewer businesses with websites, and fewer secure servers than per capita income would predict” compared to other countries. As of 2017, only 37.8% of business establishments in Malaysia have a web presence.”

* Lacking data on intersection of ownership by gender and digital presence of MSMEs

Singapore

Singapore MSMEs

Thailand

Thailand MSMEs

* Lacking data on intersection of ownership by gender and digital presence of MSMEs.
** Lacking information on MSMEs specifically.

Viet Nam

Viet Nam MSMEs

* Lacking data on intersection of ownership by gender and digital presence of MSMEs


Sources

Indonesia

Female ownership of MSMEs available at: www.smefinanceforum.org/data-sites/msme-finance-gap; and www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/260f2097-e440-4599-91ec-e42d45cf3913/SME+In….

Representation of MSMEs in the digital lansdscape in Table “Core indicators on ICT use in business by enterprise size class, annual, 2003–2016”, Indicator “Proportion of businesses with a web presence” available at: https://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/ReportFolders/reportFolders.aspx.

Malaysia

Female ownership of MSMEs available at: www.smefinanceforum.org/data-sites/msme-finance-gap.

Representation of MSMEs in the digital lansdscape available at: https://techwireasia.com/2021/06/smes-in-malaysia-stilllag-in-digital-a….

Singapore

Female ownership of MSMEs available at: www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-135/Accenture-Businesseswomen-GrowEcono….

Representation of MSMEs in the digital lansdscape in Table “Core indicators on ICT use in business by enterprise size class, annual, 2003–2016”, Indicator “Proportion of businesses with a web presence” available at: https://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/ReportFolders/reportFolders.aspx.

Thailand

Female ownership of MSMEs available at: www.smefinanceforum.org/data-sites/msme-finance-gap.

Representation of MSMEs in the digital lansdscape in Table “Core indicators on ICT use in business by enterprise size class, annual, 2003–2016”, Indicator “Proportion of businesses with a web presence” available at: https://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/ReportFolders/reportFolders.aspx.

Viet Nam

Female ownership of MSMEs available at: www.smefinanceforum.org/data-sites/msme-finance-gap.

Representation of MSMEs in the digital lansdscape available at: https://mekongbiz.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/WOB-Position-Paper_Eng…; and https://vir.com.vn/over-575-per-cent-of-vietnamese-smes-struggle-with-d….

ICT index and average % of internet and website adoption by enterprises in each province can be found at: https://m.mic.gov.vn/Pages/TinTuc/143252/Bao-cao-Vietnam-ICT-Index.html (reports are in Vietnamese, will require translation.) 2015 figures from the same index can be found in English at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02681102.2021.1935201 (table 2).


Bulletpoint

BREAKDOWN OF STEM PROFESSIONALS BY GENDER

The presence of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals is critical for an economy invested in data-driven technologies like AI. It is also important to understand the gender breakdown of STEM professionals to ensure that the conceptualization, design, and deployment of those technologies adequately reflect the unique needs, priorities, and perspectives of both women and men.

Female Share of STEM Tertiary Graduates 2018-2020

Female Share of STEM Tertiary Graduates 2018-2020

Proportion of Researchers in STEM by Gender 2015-2019

PROPORTION OF RESEARCHERS IN STEM BY GENDER 2015–2019

Sources

Female share of STEM tertiary graduates, available at: https://databank.worldbank.org/id/2ddc971b?Code=SE.TER.GRAD.FE.SI.ZS&re…;

Proportion of researchers in STEM by gender, available at: https://bangkok.unesco.org/content/complex-formula-girls-andwomen-scien…;

Science, technology and innovation: Researchers by sex, per million inhabitants, per thousand labor force, per thousand total employment (FTE and HC), available at: data.uis.unesco.org.


Bulletpoint

DISABILITY STATISTICS

Technology should enable and empower persons with disabilities (PWDs) to realize their full potential and live a life of dignity. Although many countries have dedicated policies for PWDs, like many other minority groups, PWDs do not always receive mainstream consideration in data-driven national policies. This can result in practical shortcomings or worse, bias and discrimination, when technological innovations for public services are rolled out.

In the Asia-Pacific region, PWD are two to six times less likely to be employed as compared to persons without disabilities.

Indonesia*

Indonesia Disability Statistics

* Concerns have been raised about the lack of data Indonesia has on PWD, see: www.asiasentinel.com/p/indonesia-disability-issues-lack-data?s=r.

Malaysia

Malaysia Disability Statistics

Singapore

Singapore Disability Statistics

Thailand

Thailand Disability Statistics

Viet Nam

Viet Nam Disability Statistics

All five countries are signatories of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The timeline below shows when each country ratified the UNCRPD.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) timeline


Bulletpoint

PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS-SETTING BODIES

Participation in the international standards arena affords not only familiarization with developments being discussed (a capacity-building measure, in itself) but also the opportunity to contribute to deliberations about the longer-term rules of the road for a particular field. Simply being present in these forums can nurture agency and prepare countries’ for more involved discussions later on.

Technical standards-setting bodies on data and AI include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Country Participation

Indonesia

Full member of ISO

Observing member of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42: The international standards committee responsible for standardization in AI

Member state of ITU

Malaysia

Full member of ISO

Not a member of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42: The international standards committee responsible for standardization in AI

Member state of ITU

Singapore

Full member of ISO

Participating member of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42: The international standards committee responsible for standardization in AI

Member state of ITU

Thailand

Full member of ISO

Not a member of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42: The international standards committee responsible for standardization in AI

Member state of ITU

Viet Nam

Full member of ISO

Not a member of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42: The international standards committee responsible for standardization in AI

Member state of ITU


Bulletpoint

GOVERNMENT AI READINESS INDEX 2021

This table is drawn from the Oxford Insights’ Government AI Readiness Index, which is now in its fourth edition. The index draws on 42 indicators across 10 dimensions in the areas of Government, Technology Sector, and Data and Infrastructure, in order to answer the question: “How ready is a given government to implement AI in the delivery of public services to their citizens?” The scores are calculated out of a total of 100.

Government AI Readiness

Government AI Readiness

Bulletpoint

DATA CENTERS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

The increasing number of data centers in Southeast Asia points to an expected growth of the data industry, supported by long-term capital investment to facilitate that expansion. However, the amount of energy needed to power the operation of these data centers can have potentially detrimental effects on the environment — including community displacement — without proper planning.

Number of Data Centers by Country

Data Centers in Southeast Asia

Sources

www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210427005613/en/Southeast-Asia-Data-Ce…- Forecast-2021-2026-Featuring-Key-IT-Infrastructure-Providers-Support-Infrastructure-Providers-Contractors- Investors---ResearchAndMarkets.com.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/03/09/2400274/0/en/Sout…- to-Reach-12-34-Billion-by-2027-Around-2-3-Million-Sq-Ft-of-Data-Center-White-Space-to-be-Added-Arizton.html.


Bulletpoint

DATA PROTECTION LAWS AND NATIONAL AI POLICIES

This table is a comparative and shorthand depiction of data protection-specific laws and their status in each of the five countries, as of June 2022.

Indonesia

Data Protection Law

  • Personal Data Protection Bill

National Artificial Intelligence Policies

  • National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (2020–2045)

Malaysia

Data Protection Law

  • Personal Data Protection Act 2010

National Artificial Intelligence Policies

  • Malaysia AI Blueprint (2019)
  • NationalAIRoadmap (drafted December 2020–March 2021)
  • National AI Framework for Malaysia (yet to be released)

Singapore

Data Protection Law

  • Personal Data Protection Act 2012

National Artificial Intelligence Policies

  • National AI Strategy (launched 2019)
  • The Model AI Governance Framework (released 2019)

Thailand

Data Protection Law

  • Personal Data Protection Act 2019

National Artificial Intelligence Policies

  • AI Ethics Guidelines (drafted 2019)
  • National AI Master Plan (2021–2027)
  • National AI Strategy (draft released 2022)

Viet Nam

Data Protection Law

  • Draft Personal Data Protection Decree

National Artificial Intelligence Policies

  • National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence Research, Development and Application through 2030 (2021)

 


Raising Standards Cover

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Artificial Intelligence and Data

  • Raising Standards
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction: Setting the Context
  • Policy Playbook
  • Data Reports
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Viet Nam
  • AI Reports
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Viet Nam
  • Conclusion
  • About
  • Resources
  • Consolidated Research & Statistics
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