- AI is rapidly penetrating all sectors in Thailand, from government agencies and private enterprises to education and media, yet the nation remains primarily a “technology taker,” relying on foreign platforms and experts.
- The private sector is adapting quickly, using AI to enhance efficiency and competitiveness, while the public sector lags behind due to a lack of mindset and practical understanding, rather than a lack of budget or technology.
- The government is urged to pursue an “AI-first policy,” integrating AI across all ministries instead of focusing solely on education or a single field.
- Paper-heavy administrative processes, such as those at the Department of Lands, are seen as prime examples of delays in digital and AI transformation.
- AI is being used to review thousands of legal documents, significantly reducing workload and processing time.
- Alongside the benefits are major risks of fraud, voice and image manipulation, and the spread of misinformation.
- AI is considered a general-purpose technology, impacting behavior, entertainment, education, and social interaction, but benefits are unevenly distributed, exacerbating inequality.
- The rise of agentic AI poses ethical and legal challenges, particularly regarding liability when AI acts autonomously.
- Thailand faces an increasing risk of high-tech scams, while media literacy among the youth remains low.
- The media industry mainly uses AI for basic tasks like transcription and data processing, having yet to create its own creative AI solutions.
- Experts call for a risk-based governance framework that is transparent and protects privacy and accountability.
Conclusion: AI is rapidly penetrating all sectors in Thailand, yet the nation remains a “technology taker” reliant on foreign expertise. While the private sector adapts fast, the public sector lags due to mindset issues. The government is urged to adopt an “AI-first policy” across all departments rather than focusing on isolated areas.
