Discussions at the 2026 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as Summer Davos, are underway in Dalian, China. Business leaders and youth representatives from ASEAN nations, including Thailand and Singapore, shared their views on the forum's theme of scalable innovation and expressed optimism about collaborative opportunities with China in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Jan Mandrup Olesen, an executive from Indorama Ventures in Thailand, who focuses on industrial AI applications, noted his team has tested several major Chinese AI models. He highlighted their exploration of using AI to optimize chemical production processes and supply chain management. The rapid rise of China's large AI models, he stated, has diversified a landscape previously dominated by Western technology, offering Southeast Asian manufacturers a cost-effective option for digital transformation. He pointed to cross-border data security and unified compliance standards as common global challenges for scaling industrial AI and expressed hope for greater consensus between ASEAN and China in digital governance.
The impact of AI on youth employment was a key concern for young attendees. Ben Chua, founder of a Singaporean tech organization, believes AI will not eliminate entry-level jobs but will redefine the required skill sets. He emphasized that young people need to develop interpersonal collaboration and strategic decision-making skills alongside technical abilities. Chua suggested companies restructure roles to explore human-machine collaboration, potentially creating new types of entry-level positions. Having visited China multiple times, Chua expressed admiration for the country's achievements in AI infrastructure and the speed of technology implementation, suggesting its innovation ecosystem is a valuable reference for ASEAN nations.
Vivek Kumar, CEO of JA Asia Pacific, acknowledged that while the World Economic Forum forecasts a slowdown in global economic growth to 3.1% this year, China's innovative dynamism remains a crucial pillar for the Asia-Pacific economy. He noted that the forum's list of the top ten emerging technologies for 2026, covering areas like precision fermentation and quantum drug discovery, aligns well with ASEAN's industrial upgrade needs, opening new avenues for cooperation.
Participants generally agreed that ASEAN and China have strong industrial complementarity. Building on a shared consensus for scalable innovation, cooperation is evolving beyond traditional goods trade into areas like digital technology, talent cultivation, and emerging tech R&D. This shift is expected to allow both sides to share the benefits of technological advancement and inject new momentum into regional economic development.