21 August 2025
- RSIS
- Publication
- External Publications
- Soft but Ethical: The ASEAN Way to Data Protection and AI Governance
Soft but Ethical: The ASEAN Way to Data Protection and AI Governance
This paper explores how Southeast Asian countries, individually and through ASEAN, approach data
protection and AI governance using a largely “soft but ethical” model. Amid rapid digital
transformation, ASEAN’s strategy emphasizes non-binding frameworks that promote trust, privacy,
and human-centric innovation. Anchored by the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025, member states are
adopting voluntary, principle-based policies to strengthen cross-border data flows and AI governance
without imposing rigid legal mandates. While these soft-law instruments foster regulatory flexibility
and regional interoperability, challenges remain, including legal fragmentation, lack of enforceable
safeguards, and rising concerns over AI misuse. As AI applications become more pervasive, calls for
stronger, harmonized legal frameworks are intensifying. The paper argues that ASEAN must balance
innovation with binding safeguards to ensure ethical AI deployment and reinforce trust in regional
digital ecosystems. Data protection remains central to this evolving governance landscape.
This paper explores how Southeast Asian countries, individually and through ASEAN, approach data
protection and AI governance using a largely “soft but ethical” model. Amid rapid digital
transformation, ASEAN’s strategy emphasizes non-binding frameworks that promote trust, privacy,
and human-centric innovation. Anchored by the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025, member states are
adopting voluntary, principle-based policies to strengthen cross-border data flows and AI governance
without imposing rigid legal mandates. While these soft-law instruments foster regulatory flexibility
and regional interoperability, challenges remain, including legal fragmentation, lack of enforceable
safeguards, and rising concerns over AI misuse. As AI applications become more pervasive, calls for
stronger, harmonized legal frameworks are intensifying. The paper argues that ASEAN must balance
innovation with binding safeguards to ensure ethical AI deployment and reinforce trust in regional
digital ecosystems. Data protection remains central to this evolving governance landscape.
