Managing risks and cybersecurity must be prioritised when planning for digital growth and transformation. These were some of the pointed remarks made at day one of this year’s GITEX AI Asia in Singapore.

Opening this year’s conference, David Koh, Commissioner of Cybersecurity and Chief Executive of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, framed the strategic importance of cybersecurity as a shared responsibility between government, industry, and academia.

He pointed to a fourfold increase in advanced threat attacks between 2021 and 2024, and the urgency of driving collaborative efforts.

He believes this — a time of “disruption and chaos” — is the ideal time to set the standard for governance and rules for cybersecurity and AI.

“What we are seeing now perhaps could be an interregnum, a period of transition that I would expect might last for some time, before we eventually land on what the future is to come,” said Koh.

“I think we can all agree on one thing – that any international order, in transition must provide strategic stability, both in the physical world and in cyberspace. If we want to reap the benefits of AI and the future, robotics, and industry 4.0, then we need stability in cyberspace.”

To preserve stability, Koh believes cyber leaders across industries as well as regional and international government agencies must deepen cooperation.

“We have to keep talking with each other while practising restraint,” he said. “Open channels of communication are critical to pre-empt escalation — and this is necessary for all of us.

“This also means we must be prepared to engage in dialogue, not just with our friends and people who think alike, but also with those we do not quite agree with.”

Manage risk while sustaining digital progress

Following Koh’s keynote, industry leaders discussed how best to balance innovation and risk as Southeast Asia’s digital economies scale at unprecedented speed.

Dr. Magnus Ewerbring, Chief Technology Officer, APAC at Ericsson, believes that AI and the latest technological capabilities have enabled a massive shift in service delivery. Companies can now guarantee that specific services meet consumers’ particular needs and information “with the snap of your fingers”.

“We are at the very forefront of adopting the latest technology. AI comes at risk and that comes with opportunities. Opportunities that needs to be noticed, but also managed in a good way,” said Ewerbring.

“There will need to be policies, regulation, guidelines […] And there needs to be a free and open market that drives private investments. Then we’ll have innovation and we’ll be at the brink of innovation. AI, cloud, and mobile networks in unity with delivery.”

During the discussion, Romanus Prabhu Raymond, Director of Technology at ManageEngine shared straightforward advice that whatever the technology may be, adopting them will always be a double-edged sword, hence the need to properly plan for both innovation and risks to the business.

“Technology is always going to change,” said Raymond. “How you adapt, how safely you use it for the business, and also understanding the risk which that technology brings [is going to be the same].”