S-E Asia countries opt for business-friendly AI rules

New frontier: Visitors try out an AI chatbot on a laptop in Beijing. A draft of Asean guidelines on AI shows the bloc’s stance would be more friendly to big tech companies. — AP

SINGAPORE: South-East Asian countries are taking a business-friendly approach to artificial intelligence (AI) regulation in a setback to the European Union’s (EU) push for globally harmonised rules that align with its own stringent framework.

Reuters reviewed a confidential draft of the 10-member Asean “guide to AI ethics and governance”, whose content has not previously been reported.