Regional leaders discuss AI governance, innovation, and ASEAN digital cooperation
SINGAPORE — The ATxSummit 2026, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), officially commenced on 20 May 2026 at the Gardens by the Bay. According to an IMDA press release, the opening Gala Dinner was graced by Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the Guest-of-Honour, gathering government leaders from Asia, the Middle East, and the United States, alongside representatives from the World Bank, the OECD, and the ITU.
This year’s summit placed a strong emphasis on harnessing artificial intelligence for the public good. In her opening keynote, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo announced an update to Singapore’s National AI Strategy. “Three years ago, I spoke about our vision of ‘AI for the Public Good, for Singapore and the World’,” Minister Teo stated, as recorded in her speech transcript. A factsheet from the Ministry of Digital Development and Information detailed that the refreshed strategy outlines 10 priorities to deepen sectoral transformation, mainstream AI adoption, and strengthen Singapore’s position as a trusted global AI hub.
A key highlight, as reported by Yonhap News Agency, was the inaugural AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge, which showcased 11 youth projects selected from over 600 submissions across all ASEAN member states. The projects spanned healthcare, education, social inclusion, and agriculture. Overall winner, Brunei’s ΣHAI, developed an AI-powered dementia care platform. Koo Sengmeng, Director of Talent & Ecosystem at AI Singapore, remarked in a statement, “This is the kind of impact we hope to see – our future generations not just knowing how AI works, but knowing where it matters.”
The Business Times noted that prominent industry figures such as OpenAI’s Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser, NVIDIA’s Chief Scientist William Dally, and Professor Yoshua Bengio participated in discussions centred on agentic AI, governance, and workforce adaptation. This reflected a shared regional ambition to deploy AI responsibly and inclusively.
