ASEAN pledges to transform education with digital tools

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

ASEAN member states and partners have announced plans to collaborate on improving the state of education in the region by leveraging an array of next-gen technologies.

According to a report, the ASEAN education ministers converged in Thailand for a series of high-profile meetings designed to chart a course for the future of education in the region. The meetings’ theme, “Transforming Education in the Digital Era,” drew attendance from senior officials from the ten ASEAN countries and nations in the Asia-Pacific.

A common theme in the meetings is the need to transform regional education into resilient systems “adaptable to future demands.” Representatives affirm that a common roadmap is necessary to encourage uniformity in the region rather than developing national strategies in silos.

Keynote speakers at the event noted that a joint approach to education in the digital age will prevent a yawning development gap between the region’s economies while improving learning outcomes.

Thailand Education Minister Permpoon Chidchob noted that a full-scale integration of artificial intelligence and blockchain in education is required to allow the region to compete with its peers on the global stage. However, the host minister warned attendees to proceed cautiously to avoid deepening the existing inequalities by embracing new technologies.

“Our varied regional and national contexts mean ASEAN faces unique obstacles in ensuring equitable education for all,” Ekkaphab Phanthavong, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, said. “Achieving this requires addressing barriers to education access and inclusion, particularly for women, persons with disabilities, and marginalised communities.”

The meetings explored use cases for generative AI in classrooms to aid learning, while speakers explored the utilities of blockchain in issuing certifications and verifying teachers’ credentials.

UN pushes for tighter restrictions on

In September 2023, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) suggested implementing age restrictions and licensing AI tools for classrooms before their commercial launches.

“Generative AI can be a tremendous opportunity for human development, but it can also cause harm and prejudice,” said UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay. “It cannot be integrated into education without public engagement and the necessary safeguards for regulations from governments.”

In June, the ASEAN called to establish a working group on AI governance in education. These include ramping up regional consultation on AI development, investing in public awareness of AI use in education, and establishing robust data governance frameworks.

AI with blockchain is the solution

Since its hype in recent years, AI has been rife with issues regarding its transparency and honesty. Thanks to its immutability, blockchain can help solve that.

At the recent London Blockchain Conference, FICO Chief Analytics Officer Scott Zoldi affirmed that blockchain is essential to enforcing a responsible AI.

“AI has a trust issue because there’s good, bad and ugly, but most AI models are built badly, and it’s up to us to make sure they are built correctly,” he said. However, Zoldi pointed out that blockchain can bring back trust, as it can audit AI models.

In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek’s coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI.

Watch Digital Pilipinas Festival 2023: Pioneering the future of ASEAN tech landscape