Markets, Not Makers? AI Corporations and the Future of Peace in Southeast Asia
In this article, Affabile Rifawan examines the shifting landscape of global power where private AI corporations—rather than sovereign states alone—have become the primary drivers and arbiters of technological geopolitical influence. Focusing on Southeast Asia's position in this tech race, Rifawan highlights how major AI firms control critical compute resources, cloud infrastructure, and proprietary models, forcing developing states into a passive role as consumers rather than producers. The article warns that without strong regulatory guardrails, these corporate actors risk exacerbating regional instability through resource over-extraction (water and critical minerals for data infrastructure), data security vulnerabilities, and digital catalysts for interstate conflict—as demonstrated by digital scam hubs triggering border tensions in Southeast Asia. To prevent AI corporations from dictating regional governance and undermining peace, ASEAN need to unify to enact fair, binding regional regulations that enforce data sovereignty, manage environmental risks, and restrain predatory corporate practices.
