The AI Asia Pacific Institute (AIAPI) hosted a virtual roundtable on 14 September 2026 to mark the publication of its annual paper, From Rule-Takers to Rule-Shapers: Dialogue on AI between Southeast Asia and the Gulf. The discussion brought together policymakers, researchers and AI governance experts to examine how Southeast Asia and the Gulf can build stronger practical cooperation on artificial intelligence at a time when the global AI governance landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented.
The roundtable was moderated by Kelly Forbes, President and Executive Director of AIAPI, with opening strategic remarks from Dr. Peter Brimble, AIAPI Board Director, and concluding reflections from Dr. William Cole, AIAPI Board Director.
They were joined by Dr. Saeed Al Dhaheri, Director of the Center for Futures Studies at the University of Dubai, and Mark Latonero, Chief Global Affairs Officer at the Responsible AI Future Foundation, alongside perspectives from participants working across government, policy, development and technology.
The discussion examined the importance of ensuring that AI cooperation reflects local economic, linguistic and cultural realities. Dr. Saeed Al Dhaheri pointed to existing bilateral initiatives involving the UAE and Southeast Asian countries as evidence that a foundation for deeper engagement already exists. Mark Latonero highlighted the need to address the global “AI diffusion gap” and strengthen the capacity of countries to develop and deploy AI that is locally relevant, including through greater support for local-language models.
Participants also discussed how regulatory and governance mechanisms could enable innovation while strengthening trust. Contributions touched on privacy-by-design, certification and accountability mechanisms, and the importance of fairness, robustness and safety in trustworthy AI frameworks.
The roundtable concluded with practical next steps. Participants discussed the potential for a Gulf–Southeast Asia AI Governance Observatory to track regulatory developments, emerging risks and governance approaches across the two regions.
