#27 Asia AI Policy Monitor
Japan Passes AI Development Law, China's Supreme Court on GenAI, Thailand AI Bill, Southeast Asia Cyberscams & AI and more!
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Intellectual Property
In Asia’s AI & IP sector this month - we see China continuing to define the AI & IP space as its Supreme Court designates AI copyright case as “typical” which means that lower courts should generally follow this precedent (even though this is not a common law jurisdiction). China has the world’s largest AI docket and cases are dealt with swiftly - and so expect novel issues to be addressed here, but not have the same market impact as AI & IP cases being litigated elsewhere in the world.
China’s Supreme Court designates a generative AI copyright case as “typical”.
On May 26, 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the “Typical cases on the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the Civil Code” (民法典颁布五周年典型案例) including one generative AI case in which the Beijing Internet Court held that an AI-generated voice infringed a dubber’s personality rights. Note that while China is not a common law country, designating a case as a Guiding Case or Typical Case is somewhat analogous to a U.S. Court marking a case as precedential in that the SPC is indicating to lower courts to adjudicate future cases in accordance with this decision… [from the Court’s publication]
II) Judgment Result
The effective judgment holds that the voice right is a personal interest and concerns the personal dignity of natural persons. For the voice processed by artificial intelligence technology, as long as the general public or the public within a certain range can identify a specific natural person based on the timbre, intonation and pronunciation style, the voice right of the natural person can extend to the AI voice. The above five defendants all used the plaintiff’s voice without the plaintiff’s permission and committed acts that infringed the plaintiff’s voice rights, constituting an infringement of the plaintiff’s voice rights. Because the infringing products involved in the case have been removed, the five defendants will no longer be ordered to bear the tort liability of stopping the infringement. Instead, based on the plaintiff’s request, the subjective fault of each defendant and other factors, the court ruled that the first defendant, a Beijing intelligent technology company, and the third defendant, a software company, apologize to the plaintiff, and the second defendant, a Beijing cultural media company, and the third defendant, a software company, compensated the plaintiff for losses.
Multilateral
China continues its work building consensus with Global Majority countries on AI, although these initiatives tend to focus on other global development initiatives China has spearheaded, such as the Digital Silk Road, and other softer consensus initiatives. But ASEAN has integrated AI initiatives across a series of its next strategic plans into the next decade and beyond. Given the growing importance of cross-border data ecosystems needed for AI productivity, such as cloud computing (read our editor’s recent work with the Center for European Policy Analysis on Asia’s cloud politics), these harmonization efforts will be impactful in the long run for these growing economies.
China conducted meetings with a “group of friends” countries at the UN.
On May 6, the Permanent Mission of China, the Permanent Mission of Zambia, and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) co-hosted a side event of the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building at the UN Headquarters in New York. The event featured remarks by Permanent Representative of China to the UN Ambassador Fu Cong, a leading official of CAST Ms. Luo Hui, Permanent Representatives of Zambia, Costa Rica, and Spain, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Over 100 representatives from more than 70 countries and international organizations attended the event.
In his remarks, Ambassador Fu Cong said that China is both an advocate and practitioner of international cooperation on AI capacity-building. Since its establishment, the Group of Friends has actively facilitated policy exchanges, knowledge sharing, and practical collaboration. China remains committed to promoting AI for good and for all, ensuring equitable and inclusive benefits, and fostering global AI governance and cooperation.
Ms. Luo Hui highlighted that CAST’s open-source AI initiatives have benefited many countries and regions. CAST will continue to encourage open dialogue, establish cooperative frameworks, and support AI empowerment in developing countries.
Zambia’s Permanent Representative Dr. Chola Milambo emphasized that AI cannot be approached in isolation, and that it must be implemented through genuine partnerships. The Group of Friends brings together diverse perspectives and experiences, united by a common purpose: to foster an inclusive approach to AI development that leaves no one behind.
Experts including Professor Gong Ke, former president of World Federation of Engineering Organizations, provided insights into the current state and future prospects of AI development. Representatives from various countries actively participated in discussions, calling for global efforts to establish a cooperative framework for AI capacity-building. They urged concrete actions to promote equitable and inclusive AI benefits for all.
China and the UK conducted a joint dialogue on AI.
The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the opportunities and challenges in AI development and their respective policies. Both sides expressed support for continued exchanges, mutual learning, and practical cooperation to promote the sound, safe, and orderly development of AI in both countries. The two sides agreed to maintain communication and coordination on global AI governance, advance the implementation of the Global Digital Compact adopted at the United Nations Summit of the Future, help developing countries strengthen capacity building, and ensure that AI develops for the good and for the benefit of all.
China and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will establish the China-SCO AI Application Cooperation Centre.
Huang Ru, member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the forum that the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Forum is an important platform for carrying forward the "Shanghai Spirit" and promoting cooperation in new areas. It is also a concrete measure for China to implement the "Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative" and promote the development of artificial intelligence in the SCO. China is actively committed to providing more artificial intelligence public products to the world, and is willing to work with all SCO member states to deepen artificial intelligence cooperation, continue to contribute "SCO wisdom", and jointly promote the healthy and orderly development of artificial intelligence in a beneficial, safe and fair direction.
ASEAN adopted a connectivity strategy, including portions on AI.
ASEAN’s digital economy is growing rapidly and to unlock the region’s digital economic potential and promote digital inclusion, adopting and integrating frontier technologies – such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data – is essential. While technologies and solutions offer significant benefits, their implementation poses challenges including widening digital divide and increasing online safety and cybersecurity concerns, which will need to be addressed through advancing digital innovation, cross-border data flows, and promoting safe, inclusive access to and adoption of digital technologies and services.
Additionally, AI was mentioned in the ASEAN 2045 Community Vision.
The rapidly evolving global environment will continue to require effective and innovative responses to secure the future of ASEAN and its peoples. We are mindful of the impacts, as well as inherent opportunities of existing and future megatrends such as, but not limited to: …AI…
Also, ASEAN’s socio-cultural community agreement mentioned AI.
The development of the ASCC Strategic Plan is underpinned by megatrends and challenges, which include rapidly ageing societies, urban-rural disparities, the growing impact of artificial intelligence and its ethics, including cultural appropriation and discrimination, the future of work, environmental degradation and climate change, disasters, and future public health emergencies and emerging diseases, and rapid migration.
Legislation
Major news from Asia on AI policy with Japan’s passage of its AI Development Act. This differs greatly from the EU AI Act and the South Korean AI Basic Act in that it is not a tiered risk framework, nor industrial policy. At the same time in Thailand, bills were introduced to begin framing use of the technology in the country.
An AI Bill was proposed in Thailand’s legislature.
Sak Segkhoonthod, senior adviser at the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), explained that Thailand currently relies on a soft law approach, using guidelines to regulate AI. However, as technology becomes increasingly complex, this approach may not be sufficient in the future.
The new bill has been designed to implement tiered regulation based on risk levels. High-risk AI systems will be subject to stringent measures, while general AI applications will follow best practice guidelines.
Key considerations include AI accountability, algorithmic transparency, and safeguards for AI systems that may impact human rights.
Japan passed the AI Development Bill.
To address mounting concerns over the spread of false and erroneous information generated by AI tools, the new law includes a provision to allow the government to disclose the names of malicious businesses in the event of crime using AI.
The law states that if AI is used for malicious purposes, it may "facilitate crimes, leakage of personal information and copyright violations."
For further analysis on Japan’s AI Law from the International Association of Privacy Practitioners, read this update, which includes insight from Asia AI Policy Monitor editor, Seth Hays.
And governance folks should be mindful that while the bill does not have a rules-enforcement mechanism yet, it empowers the government to develop one down the road, noted APAC GATES Managing Director Seth Hays.
"This is intentional and meant to set guardrails for firms to be responsible and adhere to soft law guidance already available, but not deter investment," he said.
The bill presses for transparency from operators on how AI is developed and used by operators, noting AI can "lead to criminal use, leakage of personal information, copyright infringement, and other situations that harm the peace of people's lives and their rights and interests," if used improperly.
Hays said other effects from the bill will occur downstream, such as the formation of an AI strategy headquarters. A task force headed up by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will create guidelines for businesses and companies to follow.
And friction over some risks, like copyright infringement cases, might arise through social consensus. Hays pointed to the country amending its copyright rules in 2019 to include an exception for data training. Regulators encouraged disputes between creators and technology companies to be resolved through measures like licensing.
"Similar expectations might be found where AI innovation and disruption occur," he said.
China’s NPC and State Council reports on legislative plans do not include an active focus for AI legislation, but are directed towards softer AI-related legislative projects.
the State Council and National People’s Congress (NPC) released their 2025 legislative plans. The State Council’s plan refers to “advancing legislative work for the healthy development of AI,” while the NPC’s plan echoes last year’s, calling for “legislative projects” on AI’s healthy development.
Governance
Practical work on LLMs and building dedicated AI compute in Singapore and China continued with newly announced initiatives. This marks the specific contours of how many countries in Asia will approach the new technology - with a mix of state sponsored projects and regulations of specific industries, alongside private innovation.
China established 10 new Data Center Zones, in push to increase AI adoption.
China will establish 10 national data pilot zones, its data agency announced, as the country seeks to bolster its digital economy and compete with the United States in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.
The National Data Administration (NDA) said the zones would be established in Beijing, Zhejiang, Anhui and other regions. The initiative encourages select local governments to spearhead efforts “in nurturing data-related market entities and expanding the data market”, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
Singapore released a new version of its Southeast Asian oriented LLM MeraLion.
Initially equipped with English, Mandarin and Singlish, the upgraded version would now include Malay, Vietnamese, Thai, Tamil, Bahasa Indonesia, as well as Chinese dialects for future releases.
Marking a key milestone in advancing artificial intelligence (AI), the model also now understands how people in Southeast Asia speak, emote, and interact.
This is achieved through code-switching capabilities to handle language mixing, which reflects the way people naturally communicate across the region.
Additionally, the model is also emotionally intelligent, having the ability to detect emotional tone, gender, and paralinguistic features in speech to enable more nuanced, empathetic interactions.
China implements rules for use of AI applications in meteorology.
The development of artificial intelligence meteorological applications should adhere to the overall national security concept, coordinate development and security , adhere to the combination of promoting innovation and governing according to law, and implement inclusive and prudent and classified and graded supervision of artificial intelligence meteorological application services.
Trust & Safety, Cybersecurity
The empirical harms of genAI come in the form of deepfake imagery, AI-enabled drones, enhanced cybersecurity threats and AI-fueled scamming. Countries are addressing this with a range of guidance, potential laws, and public awareness.
A New Zealand legislator confronts the issue of deepfake nonconsensual imagery in parliament.
In a powerful and unprecedented move, New Zealand Member of Parliament Laura McLeod McClure shocked the House by displaying an AI-generated nude image of herself to raise awareness about the growing dangers of deepfake technology. The striking gesture took place on May 14, as McClure addressed lawmakers with a bold message: the misuse of artificial intelligence to produce non-consensual explicit content is a serious threat that current laws are ill-equipped to handle
ASEAN’s Political Security Stategic Plan mentions AI.
Enhance ASEAN cooperation to respond to emerging challenges from the misuse and exploitation of information and communication technology (ICTs) and artificial intelligence (AI).
A recent report focuses on cyberscams in Southeast Asia, with AI being a complicating factor.
Repurposed hotels, casinos, and private compounds across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines have become centres of global fraud. These compounds are operated by organized criminal networks that exploit hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are trafficked and forced to perpetrate online scams. Victims include not only those defrauded online but also the scam workers themselves, subjected to threats, violence, sexual exploitation and extreme working conditions….
Scam targets are diverse and globally dispersed. The locations of chosen victims often correlate with the languages spoken by scam workers. In some cases, however, scammers rely on language translation software and generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to broaden their reach. Scammers are often instructed to identify targets that appear financially stable, and they often pose as women on mainstream social media platforms to attract middle-aged or older male victims. Other operations specifically target the elderly, LGBTQI+ people and women.
China released a report on AI and national security.
Adhere to openness without building walls, interconnection without decoupling, equality without discrimination, create an open, inclusive, universal and non-discriminatory environment for the developmaent of artificial intelligence, and issue the "Global AI Governance Initiative". Put forward governance concepts such as people-oriented, intelligence for good, universal and inclusive, promote the unanimous adoption of the United Nations General Assembly resolution on strengthening international cooperation in artificial intelligence capacity building, and establish the Friends of International Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence Capacity Building. As a responsible major country, China has taken the initiative to optimize and adjust its drone export control policy and prohibit the export of all civilian drones for military purposes.
In the News
TechCrunch reports that China’s Deepseek latest model is the most censored yet.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek’s newest AI model, an updated version of the company’s R1 reasoning model, achieves impressive scores on benchmarks for coding, math, and general knowledge, nearly surpassing OpenAI’s flagship o3. But the upgraded R1, also known as “R1-0528,” might also be less willing to answer contentious questions, in particular questions about topics the Chinese government considers to be controversial.
Advocacy
China’s MIIT has a consultation on 22 industry standards on AI and foreign language translations until June 20.
Thailand’s AI Bill is open for consultation until June 9.
Pakistan has an open consultation on its draft National AI Policy ongoing.
The Asia AI Policy Monitor is the monthly newsletter for Digital Governance Asia, a non-profit organization with staff in Taipei and Seattle. If you are interested in contributing news, analysis, or participating in advocacy to promote Asia’s rights-promoting innovation in AI, please reach out to our secretariat staff at APAC GATES or Seth Hays at seth@apacgates.com.