ASEAN moves toward legally binding AI governance as digital economy targets $2 trillion by 2030

ASEAN is shifting from voluntary AI guidelines to legally binding commitments as part of a broader push to govern emerging technologies across the bloc’s 11 member states.

Sivaram Superamanian, Assistant Director at the ASEAN Economic Community Department’s Digital Economy Division, outlined the bloc’s AI governance trajectory at the ADB-WHO Forum on Harnessing AI for Health Equity in Manila this week.

Speaking at the forum, Superamanian explained that in 2023 ASEAN member states agreed to prioritise governance over growth — on the basis that private sector-led innovation would advance naturally, while risks around bias, privacy, and security required coordinated regional action.

The resulting ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics, endorsed by ASEAN Digital Ministers in 2024, established seven key principles for organisations designing, developing, and deploying AI. The principles were drawn from major international frameworks including the EU’s risk-based approach, OECD and UNESCO standards, and existing national strategies across the bloc.

A subsequent ASEAN-US AI Roadmap translated the broad guide into practical implementation steps for companies. Separate guidelines on Generative AI have since been developed to extend the framework to large language models and related technologies.

At the institutional level, an ASEAN Working Group on AI Governance was established in 2024. Under Malaysia’s 2025 chairmanship, a ministerial declaration followed to establish the ASEAN AI Safety Network (ASEAN AI SAFE), tasked with implementation, capacity building, and developing real-world use cases.

Under the Philippines’ current chairmanship, the focus has turned to MSMEs, which account for 95–97% of businesses across the region. A leaders’ declaration action plan on MSME AI adoption is expected by November 2026.

The most significant development, however, may be the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) — a legally binding agreement that will require member states to align with international AI governance standards and actively share best practices. Officials project that with DEFA in place, the ASEAN digital economy could grow from $1 trillion to $2 trillion by 2030.