ISAS Special Reports

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the way we live, work and interact. While AI is likely to have a critical impact in key areas such as healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and mobility, it also raises fundamental questions about data privacy, mass surveillance and the infringement of fundamental rights. South Asia faces specific challenges in regulating AI, including the maturity of its legal systems, governance standards and economic development. It is thus important to begin a conversation about whether existing legal and regulatory frameworks in South Asia can effectively foster and regulate the deployment of AI technologies. The Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung organised a joint roundtable on ‘Regulating Artificial Intelligence in South Asia: Projections for the Future’ on 5 August 2019. The event brought together researchers, legal and industry experts as well as policymakers to discuss key themes in the AI regulatory space. This report largely draws upon the discussions at the roundtable. It focuses on two key areas: first, the challenges posed by AI in the fields of human rights, surveillance and data strategies; and second, the imperatives of regulation and how it relates to context and literacy, as well as possible policy recommendations.