The Asia House Fellows for 2024-2025, Bahtiar Rifai and Catherine Setiawan will focus on the deployment of AI in Southeast Asia, addressing the region’s challenges in leveraging AI-driven technologies.

The fellows bring a wealth of experience in policy work at both national and multilateral levels to the fellowship. Their expertise will be pivotal in developing strategies to improve the region’s AI preparedness and drive competitiveness on the global stage.

AI readiness for government

Bahtiar’s research will focus on the acceleration of AI adoption in the public sector and its role in improving the quality of public services.

Bahtiar, who completed his PhD in Regional Economics from the University of Birmingham in 2020, will be based in Jakarta throughout the duration of his fellowship. He brings extensive research experience gained through his role as the Head of Research Group for Knowledge-Based Economy at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

Data regimes in ASEAN

Catherine will explore the ethics of AI and its implications for international trade, focusing on the case study of Southeast Asia.

Catherine’s project will bring together her vast experience and deep knowledge of emerging technologies and policy frameworks at the multilateral level. This research is timely given the recent endorsement of the ASEAN Guide on AI Ethics and Governance in February 2024 and the ongoing negotiations of the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which ASEAN aims to conclude by the end of 2025.

Find out more about the previous Asia House Fellows here.