A global non-profit building AI safety governance capacity across Asia through policy research, training, and multi-stakeholder dialogue, starting in Southeast Asia.
A global non-profit building AI safety governance capacity across Asia through policy research, training, and multi-stakeholder dialogue, starting in Southeast Asia.
People
Updated 05/18/26Co-Founder
Co-founder | Chief Research Officer
Advisor
Head of Policy & Network
Working for Climate and Nature
West & Central Asia Lead
Funding Details
Updated 05/18/26- Annual Budget
- -
- Current Runway
- -
- Funding Goal
- -
- Funding Raised to Date
- -
Org Details
Updated 05/18/26AI Safety Asia (AISA) is a global non-profit founded in 2024 and co-founded by Edward Tsoi (CEO) and Lyantoniette Chua (Director for Programs and Stakeholder Relations). The organization is dedicated to building Asia as a globally-leading safe and responsible AI innovator, with an initial focus on Southeast Asia before expanding regionally. AISA's work is organized around three interconnected program pillars. The Dialogue pillar connects policymakers, researchers, and innovators to shape responsible AI governance through roundtables and convenings. The Knowledge Ecosystem pillar empowers policy leaders, researchers, and civil society with tools and knowledge for responsible AI policymaking. The Research and Governance Studies pillar develops evidence-based insights to help governments design protective AI policies. Among AISA's notable achievements, the organization led the first AI safety and governance training for director-level government officials in Indonesia and has expanded training to civil society organizations and parliamentary associates across the region. Between September 2024 and March 2025, AISA convened six roundtable discussions with more than 30 expert panelists and over 1,000 participants drawn from government, the private sector, academia, and civil society. In August 2025, AISA published a landmark report titled "AI Safety Governance, The Southeast Asian Way" in collaboration with the Brookings Institution, surveying AI governance developments across all 11 Southeast Asian countries. Two flagship programs have earned international recognition: RAISE-SEA, an AI-enhanced scenario foresight platform for Southeast Asian decision-makers, was selected as a top 10 project at the Paris Peace Forum 2025; and the SEA Observatory, which tracks and synthesizes AI policies across Southeast Asia, won second prize at the UNESCO Global Forum on AI Ethics 2025. AISA is a registered civil society organization with UNESCO's AI ethics platform and a member of the World Economic Forum's AI Global Alliance.
Theory of Change
Updated 05/18/26AISA operates on the premise that Asia, representing approximately 60% of the global population, is underrepresented in global AI safety and governance conversations. By training government officials and civil society leaders, producing regionally grounded policy research, and facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue, AISA aims to build the capacity for Asian governments to adopt effective AI governance frameworks. Better-governed AI in Asia reduces the risk of ungoverned or misaligned AI development and deployment at scale. Regional cooperation and local ownership of AI safety norms also bridges the Global North-South gap, ensuring that governance solutions reflect Asian contexts and are more likely to be adopted and sustained.
Grants Received– no grants recorded
Updated 05/18/26Projects
Updated 05/18/26
A 12-week AI safety and governance fellowship for junior researchers and government staff in Southeast Asia, incubating promising policy researchers and mid-senior civil servants across ASEAN starting with the Philippines and Indonesia.
Policy lab of AI Safety Asia whose Southeast Asia Policy Observatory (SEA Observatory) provides a comprehensive overview of AI policy and governance in the region.
AI-augmented scenario platform developed by AI Safety Asia that models plausible AI disruption scenarios for Southeast Asia and supports cooperative, "Asia Way" governance and preparedness.
Discussion
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.