Asian Angle | In Southeast Asia’s Climate Battle, AI Could Prove a Double-Edged Sword

Asian Angle | In Southeast Asia’s climate battle, AI could prove a double-edged sword

AI has the potential to be a new engine of growth but should not be a panacea for the region’s climate problems.

An Intelligent Trade-Off: AI as a Double-Edged Sword in Southeast Asia’s Climate Battle

Southeast Asia has emerged as a bright spot in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, with a market size projected to reach US$8.9 billion and an annual growth rate of over 27 per cent this year. Recently, this upward trajectory has been further supported by strong AI-related investments, with over US$30 billion invested into the region in the first half of 2024. A large proportion of investments pledged have gone towards infrastructure d…