Thailand is urged to embrace AI to boost economic growth and enhance education quality. Experts emphasize the need for skill development in the workforce as the AGI economy approaches. A comprehensive AI strategy focusing on ethics, infrastructure, and innovation is critical for tackling national challenges. AI promises transformative benefits for key industries while raising concerns about job impacts and underscoring the importance of reskilling.
Thai experts urge the country to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to boost economic growth and enhance educational standards. They emphasize that investing in skill development and human capital is essential in the five years ahead of the anticipated arrival of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a concept representing machines capable of performing any intellectual task a human can.
Somkiat Tangkitvanich of the Thailand Development Research Institute highlighted the essential role of AI in fostering competition at the NAC 2025 NSTDA conference. He outlined AI’s transformative potential by referencing its capabilities, such as predicting protein structures and exploring other planets. Somkiat identified four human roles in the age of AI: smart cyborgs, smart users, smart humans lacking AI skills, and individuals unaware of both AI and their skills.
Thailand’s national AI strategy targets various facets, including ethics, infrastructure, workforce development, and promoting AI across sectors. Somkiat asserts that this strategy should adapt to leverage AI in addressing critical challenges like sluggish economic growth, an aging population, and poor education standards, especially in core subjects where Thai children lag in comparison to their OECD peers.
AI holds the promise to transform Thailand’s essential industries like healthcare and tourism while augmenting workforce capabilities. Notably, sectors including food and textiles have incorporated AI for visual inspections, and chemical and machinery industries apply it for anomaly detection. Additionally, AI can significantly enhance educational practices, enabling faster learning for students and offering substantial returns on investment.
Pochara Arayakarnkul of Bluebik Group noted that while businesses are eager to transition to AI, realizing its full potential requires comprehensive systems, encompassing applications, infrastructure, and data governance. He cautioned that human oversight is still necessary in AI processes, highlighting reskilling as vital for effective integration.
Napat Jatusripitak from the Thailand Future Foundation stated that AI is ushering in a workforce revolution, predicting AGI’s arrival could be hastened by government investments. He warned that AGI could disrupt traditional labor markets, necessitating businesses to enhance productivity and encourage hiring. Napat called for strategic investments in human capital to ensure a more skilled and abundant workforce in Thailand’s evolving economy.
In summary, Thailand must harness artificial intelligence as a catalyst for economic progress and educational improvement. By focusing on workforce skill development and investing in AI across sectors, the country can address significant challenges like economic stagnation and educational shortcomings. However, achieving these goals requires a synchronized effort involving both technological integration and human capacity building. As AI evolves, Thailand’s ability to adapt will determine its competitive edge on the global stage.
Original Source: www.bangkokpost.com
