Organizer: Media, Technology, and Society Programme, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute

Type/Location: Virtual

Description:

As Southeast Asia develops its own large language models (LLMs), questions of identity, representation, and digital sovereignty take centre stage. Algorithms and Identity: Localising Large Language Models in Southeast Asia explores how AI interacts with the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity, shaping narratives, knowledge access, and governance. This webinar examines the challenges of adapting AI for Southeast Asian languages, including bias, data availability, technical constraints, and the opportunities these models present in empowering communities, preserving linguistic heritage, and fostering digital inclusion.

With AI increasingly embedded in everyday life, localised models must navigate political sensitivities, policy considerations, as well as the balance between technological advancement and cultural preservation. This webinar will critically assess the implications of AI-driven language technologies in Southeast Asia, addressing how the region can actively shape AI to reflect its diverse realities, values, and aspirations while mitigating risks of exclusion or misrepresentation.

About the Speakers:

Elina Noor is a Senior Fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Previously, she served as director of political-security affairs at the Asia Society Policy Institute and held key positions at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies and the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia. Ms Noor holds law degrees from Oxford and LSE and serves on the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.

Registration Link:

To attend the event online, please register here.