Southeast Asia ‘has not really moved up the value chain’ and risks missing the AI boom, says Standard Chartered’s chief ASEAN economist

Southeast Asia lags behind South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in the AI value chain, contributing 6% of global intermediate manufacturing versus China's 15%. Standard Chartered's chief ASEAN economist Edward Lee warns the region risks missing the AI boom without increased R&D investment, citing Singapore's $1 billion commitment to AI research as a potential model.