ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting 2026: Spotlight on AI Cooperation in Asia's Rising Markets

The sixth convening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN) was held in Hanoi, Vietnam on January 15-16, 2026, under the theme “ASEAN Adaptive: From Connectivity to Connected Intelligence.” Senior government officials from across the 11 Southeast Asian nations that form the ASEAN bloc deliberated on key digital policy issues for the region’s economic growth, such as enhancing widespread AI adoption, combating online scams, promoting regional cyber resilience, and boosting digital infrastructure development.  These are aligned with the Philippines’ digital priorities as ASEAN’s Chair for 2026.

The ministers adopted the Hanoi Digital Declaration to strengthen coordinated, inclusive digital transformation efforts across a set of priority areas, such as AI cooperation, resilient digital infrastructure, future-ready digital workforce, and trusted data flows. The declaration will shape Asia’s digital future through the adoption of the new ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2026-2030 (ADM 2030). The ADM 2030 will set the course for ASEAN’s strategic direction in digital transformation, both through strengthening regional cooperation as well as a call to action to update national digital strategies. The ADM 2030 is envisioned to be a pillar of regional digital integration as well as a framework for engagement with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, including the United States, and international organizations on digital cooperation.

The seventh ADGMIN will be hosted by Brunei in Bandar Seri Begawan in January 2027.

Policy Priorities for ASEAN’s Digital Direction in 2026

• AI Cooperation.: The Working Group on AI Governance (WG-AI), which is the focal point for ASEAN’s engagement on AI with relevant external stakeholders, published the Expanded ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics in 2025. The WG-AI will continue to engage in public-private dialogues, capacity-building activities, and broader initiatives to strengthen AI governance in ASEAN. Initiatives to watch in 2026:
• ASEAN AI Safety Network: Established in 2025, this will serve as a regional platform to strengthen AI cooperation on capacity building, regulatory preparedness, and safeguard measures. At the sixth ADGMIN, Malaysian Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced that the secretariat for this network will be based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Public-Private Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence: This is supported by the ASEAN-ICT Fund and incorporates perspectives from key industry actors to develop recommendations designed as adaptable guidance for adoption by ASEAN Member States (AMS).

Overall, AMS are expected to leverage the WG-AI and the AI Safety Network in 2026 to intensify AI cooperation through policy harmonization and enhanced joint safety efforts.

• Spotlight on Digital Infrastructure: There will be a continued emphasis on diversifying access through broadband networks, 5G/6G, cloud services, data centers, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and submarine cables. With respect to submarine cables in 2026:
  • • New initiatives on regional cooperation are expected to be undertaken by the Working Group on Submarine Cables (WG-SC).
    • The Enhanced ASEAN Guidelines for Strengthening Resilience and Repair of Submarine Cables has been launched. This includes best practices to expedite submarine cable repairs through streamlined processes and enhance cable protection.
• Building a Trusted Digital Ecosystem: The Working Group on Digital Data Governance (WG-DG) and the ASEAN Data Protection and Privacy Forum will continue to lead engagements to facilitate cross-border data flows in ASEAN. This will include promotion of the ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses; continued operationalization of the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (Global CBPR); and capacity building related to privacy enhancing technologies (PETs). ADGMIN also endorsed the ASEAN Framework on Cross-Border Cloud Computing to facilitate trusted and seamless data flows across AMS to further enhance digital integration and economic growth.
• Emphasis on Combating Scams: ADGMIN welcomed the publication of the ASEAN Guide on Anti-Scam Policies and Best Practices, which consists of practical guidance for governments, telecommunications regulators, and the industry to adopt anti-scam measures for ASEAN-wide implementation. The meeting emphasized the urgent need for collective action to effectively prevent and combat the threat of scams over digital and telecommunication channels. ASEAN has unfortunately become a geographic nexus for this transnational challenge — the region hosts major hubs for criminal activity but also sees a disproportionate impact on its citizens. The Working Group on Anti-Online Scams (WG-AS) will lead ASEAN’s efforts to safeguard public safety, economic security, and trust in digital infrastructure.
• Progress on Cybersecurity Initiatives: Regional cybersecurity will be led by the ASEAN Regional CERT, which is now fully operational, and its information-sharing mechanism has successfully onboarded all AMS and the ASEAN secretariat onto the platform. The CERT aims to strengthen regional cyber resilience through timely information exchanges and sharing of best practices among AMS on cyber threats and attacks. In 2026, it will lead cyber exercises and CERT-to-CERT capacity building programs to promote cohesive collaboration across ASEAN.

Highlights from the Hanoi Digital Declaration

The Declaration sends a clear policy signal about ASEAN’s emphasis on safety and trust in promoting innovation in the digital age; it includes a set of digital priorities for action by AMS:

• Advance ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) negotiations.
• Develop smart, seamless, inclusive, and resilient digital infrastructure including cloud services and data centers.
• Advance of trusted and secure digital ecosystems by promoting interoperability and trusted cross-border data flows and strengthening regional cybersecurity resilience.
• Promote inclusive digital participation by enhancing universal and affordable connectivity and ensuring accessible technologies for all.
• Strengthen a future-ready digital workforce and digital talent through academia-industry partnerships and supporting mobility of professionals across the region.
• Accelerate digital economy integration through development of digital public infrastructure and data connectivity.
• Deepen cooperation on AI by advancing policy harmonization and strengthening collective safety efforts.

Plans for Cooperation with Digital Dialogue Partners

ASEAN’s key dialogue partners, including China, the European Union, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States all announced continued collaborative efforts on key digital issues as part of their 2026 Digital Workplans. There is consistent interest in promoting partnerships on AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure.

Apart from these themes, China’s 2026 collaboration priorities for ASEAN include issues such as open-source models, along with digital security and trust. The EU is set to focus on combating online scams, promoting trusted connectivity, and developing digital standards, while India will drive more collaborative initiatives on ICT training and capacity building programs. The United States has confirmed six priority areas, including AI; undersea cable capacity building; cloud computing transformation principles; combatting online scams; cybersecurity; and ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) negotiations support.

Conclusion

The sixth ADGMIN set a proactive and progressive agenda for ASEAN’s digital priorities in 2026, aligned with the region’s ambition to promote responsible AI adoption for sustained economic development. Southeast Asian policymakers are prioritizing AI deployment and adoption through not only responsible AI development efforts but also investing in critical support elements such as robust digital infrastructure and proactive cybersecurity strategies.

A common thread running through all of ASEAN’s efforts is its emphasis on trust and safety as the basis for its AI adoption journey. The WG-AI, ASEAN AI Safety Network, and ASEAN Regional CERT are being positioned as foundational pillars for regional collaboration and partnership with the private sector.

There is keen interest in collaborating with the private sector. Companies, from growth-stage startups to multinationals that want to effectively engage, along with their industry associations and partners, should consider:

• Co-development of standards and frameworks for boosting AI safety and security.
• Raising awareness on both the risks and mitigation strategies for the adoption of newer technologies such as agentic AI.
• Capacity-building support for workforce upskilling and enhanced mobility.
• Partnership for development of policy frameworks to support critical digital infrastructure such as cloud services.
• Strategy development support to enhance AMS’ resilience in preparation for swiftly evolving technologies such as quantum computing.

ASEAN’s economic growth trajectory and its progressive digital policy posture indicate its readiness to not only shape but also lead global efforts to create strong, AI-enabled digital economies.

Crowell Global Advisors is a trusted partner to stakeholders across the public and private sectors in advancing ASEAN’s digital agenda and is working actively on key policy issues such as AI governance, cloud computing, and trusted data flows in the region.