Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Symposium

The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) today organised the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Symposium, at the Lecture Theatre, The Core, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).  

The guest of honour for the symposium was Yang Mulia Awang Haji Hairul Mohd Daud bin Haji Abdul Karim, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC). Also in attendance were Permanent Secretaries from several Ministries as well as Chief Executive of AITI. The Symposium has also gathered participants from the Government and private sector as well as from the academia.  

The ceremony began with a recital of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat led by Yang Mulia Pengiran Muhd Nur Firdaus bin Pg Metussin, Imam Tingkat III, Masjid Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha. The event proceeded with welcoming remark by the guest of honour, highlighting the importance of good governance to guide the development of emerging technologies such as AI. He stressed that the journey towards becoming a Smart Nation requires us to create an enabling environment towards a safe and trusted digital ecosystem. Additionally, he called for a multi-stakeholder collaboration between government organisations, private sector organisations, academia and civil society to make a collective commitment to capture the upsides of technology, while also developing and using it responsibly. 

Several prominent international speakers delivered their presentations namely Undral Ganbaatar from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Teo See Hian from Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Singapore; Ajar Edi from Microsoft; and Adam Sloan from BlackBerry. The Symposium also featured panel discussions between AITI, key industry players and academia on responsible development and use of AI. 

The event was then followed with the 1st AI Governance and Ethics Working Group meeting. The Working Group comprises members from government organisations, private sector organisations and academia, with the objectives to draft a national Guide on AI Governance and Ethics for Brunei Darussalam. The meeting was chaired by Ir. Haji Jailani bin Haji Buntar, the Chief Executive of AITI.