Asia School of Business Leads the AI Evolution in Southeast Asia with Inaugural AI-Powered Leadership Conference

The event was supported by the conference's Strategic Partner, TRX City Sdn Bhd, the organisation driving the growth of Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), Malaysia's International Financial Centre.

In his welcome address, YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, Malaysia, welcomed the gathering of leaders who recognise the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which will drive the next phase of Malaysia's and the region's economic growth.

"Leadership in the new age of intelligence demands trust and transparency to drive growth and return on investment. Beyond managing teams, leaders must understand AI's ethical implications for jobs and equity, proactively anticipating risks like algorithmic bias and cybersecurity. Corporate leaders must adopt human-centred AI principles, ensuring technology serves people first by augmenting human judgment and enhancing the human touch, rather than dictating or eroding it," he said, adding that leaders must invest in people as seriously as they invest in technology.

The opening keynote was delivered by Professor De Kai, a globally recognised AI pioneer and author of critically-acclaimed MIT Press book, Raising AI, appearing for the first time in Malaysia. Renowned for building the web's first language translator and developing the language models that later powered Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google Translate, he is one of only seventeen Founding Fellows of the Association for Computational Linguistics. With appointments at HKUST and Berkeley's International Computer Science Institute and experience on Google's AI ethics council, De Kai brings deep expertise at the intersection of AI, ethics, and society.

Professor De Kai shared, "Artificial Intelligence are not gods or slaves. They're attention seeking children who want your approval. We are not parenting them but they are already influencing us unconsciously, and it will continue to influence us even more if we keep thinking of them as mechanical tools."

His session set the stage for a series of sessions and interactive discussions around the theme of Leadership and Cybersecurity, that examined how AI is reshaping industries, workforce structures and organisational strategy. Other notable keynote speakers included Brian Wong, former Alibaba executive, entrepreneur, investor, and author known for his work on globalisation strategy and AI-enabled organisational design; and Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, globally renowned for his groundbreaking research in interactive robotics, avatar science, and human–AI interaction.

The conference also featured ASB faculty experts Professor Ong Shien Jin and Professor David Asirvatham, who provided insights into AI-driven decision-making, leadership dynamics, and organisational transformation. Participants explored next-generation AI models, leadership, cybersecurity, responsible adoption, human-centred leadership and long-term competitiveness.

"As intelligent systems become central to national strategy, corporate competitiveness, and cross-border collaboration, leaders today must pair technical literacy with sound judgement and ethical clarity. This is why ASB is proud to host this conference: to ensure our region's decision-makers are equipped to navigate AI's sweeping impact across economies and societies. ASB has invested deeply in these capabilities through our Micro-Credential in AI for Business Leaders, our Certified AI Leader and Certified AI Practitioner executive education programs, and an expanding suite of AI-integrated offerings across our learning pathways. Our goal is straightforward ‒ to help organisations lead AI-driven transformation with confidence, accountability, and long-term competitiveness." said Joe Cherian, CEO, President, Dean and Distinguished Professor of the Asia School of Business.

TRX City Sdn Bhd, the strategic partner of the conference, highlighted the importance of AI-ready leadership as a critical foundation for a thriving financial ecosystem. Dato' Sr Azmar Talib, CEO of TRX City said, "AI is reshaping global finance and Malaysia must stay ahead of the curve. At TRX, we see AI-ready leadership as a fundamental driver of competitiveness. Our partnership with ASB reflects our commitment to building an international financial centre that attracts top talent, accelerates innovation and strengthens Malaysia's position in the region. TRX is proud to support that momentum."

The conference also included exhibitors, including ThakralOne, iFLYTEK, Biline, Beyond Insights, Symprio, and Galactic Network and Vetece Holdings. PIKOM, the National Tech Association of Malaysia, also participated as a supporting partner as part of broader efforts to strengthen Malaysia's digital economy and innovation landscape.
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