By Waleeporn Sayasit and Peter Fischbach
Highlights:
- Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a topic on everybody’s lips these days. Whether as part of a coordinated approach to building deeper and more productive customer relationships or in thinking about its widespread integration into government services, social media, and entertainment, AI is already having an impact on how we do business and how IT systems and digital technology interact with the real world.
-AI is here to stay, so the more we understand what it is and how to leverage that knowledge, the better positioned our organizations, large and small, will be for success in a digitally transformed world.
- The Digital Economy Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand recently invited two leading experts on AI to walk us through the concepts and help point us in the right direction.
Although many people talk about
AI, not everyone understands exactly what it is and how we can leverage its
power. We recently had the pleasure of being joined by Dr. Orathai Sangpetch,
Vice President of Research and Strategy at CMKL University and K. Supparat
Sivapetchranat Singhara na Ayutthaya, the CEO of ST Telemedia Global Data
Centres (Thailand), Chief Digital Officer of Frasers Property (Thailand), and
CEO of PBA Robotics Thailand for a discussion to shed some light on the
subject.
As explained by K. Supparat, the
contrast between ‘natural’ and ‘artificial’ intelligence can be viewed in terms
of “intent”. He cited the example of a long-ago US Supreme Court decision which
arbitrarily changed the classification of a tomato from the scientifically correct
category of a fruit to instead being considered a vegetable in order to lessen
import tariffs. The underlying data was the same, he noted, but the intended
use of that data was different and that’s a perspective which can help us
understand AI. With examples of each, he explained the differences between
Machine Learning (ML), Reinforced Learning (RL), and Deep Learning (DL), and
the advances in computing technology which make modern AI possible.
Dr. Orathai elaborated on that
theme, describing how AI concepts have existed for decades but only the
incredible gains in present-day computing power have allowed them to become a
reality. The challenges lie in ensuring data quality and then building unbiased
algorithms to address viable (and practical) use cases. She noted that CMKL
University has some of the fastest AI infrastructure in ASEAN, and that in 2022
they will begin offering a Bachelor’s Degree program in AI Engineering.
Many interesting AI use cases were
cited during the talk, whether for large enterprises
or to address the needs of smaller companies. “AI as a Service” will grow in
popularity too, and will be applied together with other technologies such as
blockchain to enhance transparency.
We agree with a key point made by the speakers that the power of
AI can be effectively leveraged in every industry if the right data is made
available on a timely basis, and given the availability of people with the
right skills and the right mindset. Government can play a key role in promoting
this collaboration by providing ‘raw material’ in the form of open data sets
for use in creative and often unexpected ways to extract valuable insights.
For more detail and to watch the full
recording of this fascinating dive into AI, please go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TAT4eoq00I
Authors:
Waleeporn Sayasit, General Manager, Corporate
Communications, at T.C.C. Technology Co., Ltd. and Peter Fischbach, President
of ISM Technology Recruitment Ltd. are co-chairs of the American Chamber of
Commerce Digital Economy Committee. The Digital Economy Committee seeks to
support the role of the digital economy in enabling universal participation in
Thailand’s social and economic enterprise by all stakeholders.
