In the last of our video blog series on artificial intelligence (AI) and Southeast Asia, EngageMedia interviews 5G researcher Melinda Martinus on how the different 5G providers in the region – whether from China or outside Asia – can influence the AI technologies that will be powered by it.

Melinda works as a lead researcher for the Asean Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, and published in November 2020 a paper on the intricacies of 5G development in Southeast Asia. In both the paper and the video blog, she emphasises the reasons why Southeast Asian countries should diversify their 5G providers, which also entail diversifying their other technology providers.

In previous video blogs, we interviewed IT for Change Deputy Director Nandini Chami on AI governance and independent researcher Jun-E Tan on the opportunities and challenges brought about by AI technologies from a regional perspective.

Check out EngageMedia.org/AI for more information on how EngageMedia is raising the awareness of civil society in Southeast Asia on AI’s human rights and democratic implications.