Highlights from ASEAN Innovation Business Platform Thailand Working Group, 21 June 2023
Following the?AIBP Thailand Advisory Board Meeting ?in March, the ASEAN Innovation Business Platform was back in Thailand this week, looking into areas highlighted by our advisory board at the ASEAN Innovation Business Platform Thailand Working Group this Wednesday.?
Key focus areas in cybersecurity, sustainability and industry 4.0 technologies and challenges were discussed among our guests across various industries from AIS, AXONS CPF IT Centre, Bangkok Bank, Dell Technologies, Kyndryl, PTT Digital, PTTEP, Phyathai Paolo Hospital Group, Samitivej, Snowflake, Thai Union Group, TPI Polene, True Digital Group.
Together with our guests, we delved into key topics around digitalisation and innovation among Thailand’s enterprises:
Key themes discussed and observed across the 3 sessions included importance of adapting regulations and solutions for localised needs and stage of development, adept and coherent application of technologies for specific business needs, cross-industry cooperation and upskilling for real-world technology applications.
Prevention, Detection and Response in Thailand’s Cybersecurity Landscape
Khun Tithirat Siripattanalert, Group Chief Information Security and Data Management Officer, True Digital Group set the stage with an in-depth explanation of the various levels and layers of cyberthreats and their respective cybersecurity solutions, and security controls implementations for various types of data, of low (anonymised), medium (personal data) and high (sensitive data) risk.
The need for 24/7 protection, security automation, and detection of suspicious activities was emphasised, where some common cybersecurity lapses in Thailand involve hacking attempts, ransomware, insecure remote desktop protocols, default account exploitation, and application attacks.
The crunch in IT resources and human resources can be scaffolded with AI and machine learning for cybersecurity. Security automation and real-time commands to block malicious access are key, and machine learning is used to enhance detection efficiency by focusing on abnormal patterns, such as unusual server access by an individual.
Organisations are also increasing awareness and educating users to be aware of cybersecurity, especially with the adoption of bring-your-own-device, and importance of multi factor authentication.
“We have all the data together in a digital form ready to be used, but one of the concerns that we didn't pay much attention to in the past is about data security, which is becoming more and more important because more data is the central server.” - Dr. Virat Chatdarong, Vice President, TPI Polene PLC
“The private sector doesn't have to rely so much on the role of the government, or the law (for cybersecurity). Because at the end of the day, your company’s operations are impacted (in the event of a cyber attack).” - Pawana Thongratana, Director, Kyndryl
Technology: Implications for Sustainability and Industry 4.0
Thailand has been actively pursuing and developing their value-based economy with digitalisation for businesses and development of S-Curve industries. The emergence of Industry 4.0 has brought forth transformative technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), offering immense potential for progress and innovation. However, the rapid pace of technological advancements has created a disparity between people's skills and the capabilities of these cutting-edge technologies. As a result, there is a pressing need for individuals to gain a deeper understanding of machine learning for application in use cases, along with the importance of collaborative sharing of data. The challenge lies in incentivising individuals and organisations to participate in data sharing, acknowledging that tangible benefits are essential for fostering cooperation.
“I think machine learning is genuinely going a little bit ahead of people's skills, potentially. So I think a lot of people start applying machine learning without actually understanding where it goes.” - Dr. Stefan Mairhofer, Data Science Lead, Thai Union Group
“We are trying to bridge the gaps instead of one having their own applications, which may do something different, but the data is always connected because they are in the same community. The purpose of data can be AI automation, etc. What we do is we try to make them share the data, and the difficult part is no one is going to share unless they are able to benefit.” - Truswin Raksasataya, Software & Product, PTT Digital
Moreover, the integration of AI in everyday work necessitates a shift in skill requirements. Instead of solely relying on technical prowess, individuals must cultivate prompt engineering, design thinking, and critical inquiry to effectively utilise AI's capabilities to guide AI systems to deliver optimal outcomes. Collectively, these insights underscore the significance of skill development, data collaboration, and strategic thinking as crucial pillars for leveraging the potential of Industry 4.0.
“With the advent of AI, obviously, you still need to look, if you want to be able to stay ahead and program the AI, then you definitely need to be even more advanced. But at the level that you actually actively work with AI, the skills have shifted to prompt engineering or prompt design, right. So because AI will answer what you ask. So it becomes, you know, the more important to ask the right questions or have the critical thinking to, to guide it through.” - Chonnikarn (Fern) Jira, Head of Digital Academy, True Digital Group
On Sustainability
Other technologies such as the Internet of things (IoT), plays a vital role in real-time data collection, and are enablers of sustainability by tracking and measuring carbon emissions.?
In addition to tracking and measurements, many startups are developing sustainable solutions.?
“It's a combination between the IoT and automation, because we can't just write it down for every activity and propose and then collect it. Everything needs to be automated, fast, real time, so that we can raise the awareness of everyone because it affects the business.” - Truswin Raksasataya, Software & Product, PTT Digital
Dr. Stefan shared about an affordable solution in the food industry making use of IoT technology to control water quality and oxygen levels in shrimp farms. One example is a startup incubator for food startups involved in IoT solutions. A specific startup developed a cost-effective solution for shrimp farms, controlling water quality and oxygen supply. Companies also have to advocate for new technologies, and provide ample assistance for local, smaller farms to be open and adopt the new ways of work.
While there has been increasing attention on sustainability, the concern of costs and benefits to the business remains a big question mark. Factors crucial to support sustainability among business are financing and supply chains, in addition to technology developments.
Khun Chanintorn Tepnupa, SVP, Bangkok bank, shared about how Bank of Thailand has implemented sustainable financing regulations, but regulations may not necessarily be fit for the market - a sensitive topic in sustainable financing is financing of coal mining industries which Southeast Asian countries still enroute in development are heavily involved in. The difficulty lies in proving that projects comply with regulations stipulated by the Bank of Thailand.?
Sustainability, and by extension ESG, at the end of the day, is very much about how businesses manage stakeholders, increasing internal and external awareness, and developing new ways to meet Thailand’s Bio-Circular Green economy and the country’s 2023 Net Zero target.
Find out more about our 2023 AIBP Conference and Exhibition Thailand, happening in Bangkok this 26-27 September?here
Alternatively, do feel free to reach out to us via DM or at [email protected] if you wish to join us, or if there are topics in digitalisation you would like to hear more of! Syed Aizat Syed Sultan
Investment, Cybersecurity, DarkWeb Threat Intelligence, Ethical Hacking, Innovation, Strategy, Business Development, Marketing, IT, International Relations, Diplomacy, M&A, IPO, Accelerating, Policymaking
1 年Thailand’s pursuit of a value-based economy and technological advancements is commendable. And yet, a critical viewpoint should consider potential challenges such as job displacement, data privacy concerns, and the need for a comprehensive and ethical incentive system for data sharing. Addressing these concerns will be vital to ensure that the benefits of digitalization and AI are realized while minimizing potential negative impacts.