AI speeds up Asia-Pacific trade, but tech gaps remain

13 Sept 10:17 Key points summarised by AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances trade efficiency in Asia-Pacific, but its large-scale adoption remains low (under 15% of trade processes) and highly uneven across subregions.
East Asia leads in AI integration due to strong digital infrastructure and governance, while Pacific island nations face significant challenges, underscoring a deep digital divide.
AI currently streamlines tasks such as document verification, high-risk cargo identification, and border inspections, which reduces delays and improves supply chain compliance.
Key barriers to widespread AI adoption include a critical shortage of technical skills, high infrastructure costs, fragmented data systems, and regulatory uncertainty.
The report urges governments to invest in workforce skills, upgrade digital infrastructure, and establish common rules to support secure, data-driven trade.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 14:22 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Education Ministry is implementing a four-pronged strategy to address its students' below-average performance in PISA 2025 and tackle significant educational inequality.
The plan prioritizes closing performance gaps by increasing funding for small and low-income schools, overhauling the curriculum to foster critical thinking, and adopting a data-driven management system to reduce teacher workload.
Key initiatives include enhancing school safety, combating cyberbullying, and expanding mental health support through peer-to-peer networks, recognizing the severe impact of distress on academic performance.
An education expert advises verifying if PISA improvements stem from structural changes, advocating for a revived STEM curriculum with practical 'learn by doing' methods, and urging bureaucratic reform to link teacher evaluations to student development.