Building Trust at the Heart ofAsia’s AI Future

We believe that progress in artificial intelligence must begin with people. At AI Safety Asia (AISA), we bring together policymakers, experts, researchers, and civil society to create an AI ecosystem built on trust, inclusion, and shared responsibility.


Our mission is to help Asia lead the way in developing AI that uplifts communities, protects values, and serves humanity with integrity.

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Mission

Strengthening AI governance and safety through collaboration. We connect policymakers, experts, researchers, and communities to ensure that artificial intelligence grows with fairness, accountability, and shared benefit across Asia.


Our mission is to turn knowledge into action — creating systems that are transparent, inclusive, and grounded in human values.

Vision

A future where technology and humanity move forward together. We envision a region where every country, regardless of scale or resource, has the capacity to shape responsible AI.


A future where innovation respects ethics, builds trust, and helps people live better — not just faster.

Building under blue sky

Born from Collaboration, Built for the Region

AI Safety Asia (AISA) began with a simple belief — that the future of artificial intelligence in Asia should be shaped by collaboration, not competition.


Across the region, AI is evolving faster than the frameworks that govern it. Researchers, policymakers, and civil society all face the same challenge: how to harness innovation without losing human values and agency.


AISA was founded to bridge these worlds — turning dialogue into strategy, research into action, and regional diversity into shared strength. By connecting experts across borders, we’re helping Asia lead with empathy, foresight, and purpose.


Our Journey

2023

Founded by a collective of AI and policy experts across Asia.

2024

Published first Regional AI Governance Report and launched pilot training programs.

2025

Completed Southeast Asia roundtable series covering all ASEAN countries, and co-published landmark report with Brookings on AI Safety and Governance in Southeast Asia; Responsible AI Scenario Exploration for Southeast Asia (RAISE for SEA) was selected as one of the top 10 projects at the Paris Peace Forum 2025; SEA Observatory selected as 2nd best award at the UNESCO Global Forum on AI Ethics.

2026

Official Main Agenda Session at India AI Impact Summit.

Guided by Principles that Shape Every Action


At AI Safety Asia (AISA), our work is built on shared values that guide how we think, act, and collaborate. These principles remind us that progress in technology must always reflect progress in humanity.

Regionally grounded

We bring Asia-Pacific expertise to global AI governance conversations, ensuring regional realities shape international frameworks. Our grounding in local contexts enables us to bridge the Global AI Divide with authenticity and impact.

Multistakeholder and inclusive

We convene governments, civil society, industry, and academia to ensure AI governance reflects diverse voices. By centering perspectives from Asia, Global South and middle powers, we advance frameworks that serve all of humanity.

Evidence-based and future-facing

Our work is anchored in rigorous research and strategic foresight, anticipating tomorrow's challenges while addressing today's urgencies. We combine analytical depth with forward-looking vision to inform policies that are both grounded and transformative.

Cross-border collaboration

We build bridges between regions, institutions, and sectors—connecting Asia with global governance networks and facilitating dialogue across borders. Our partnerships with world-class organizations amplify collective impact and ensure no region is left behind in shaping AI's future.

Impact

We measure success by the change we create — in policies, people, and possibilities. Every action should bring us closer to a safer, fairer, and more sustainable AI.

Our Team


At AI Safety Asia (AISA), our work is built on shared values that guide how we think, act, and collaborate. These principles remind us that progress in technology must always reflect progress in humanity.

Edward Tsoi

Edward Tsoi

CEO

Founder of Connecting Myanmar, former board member of Amnesty International Hong Kong, and experienced leader in technology startups and non-profits. He holds a Master of Laws in Human Rights with distinction from the University of Hong Kong and attended the Media Policy Institute organized by the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford.

Dr. Supheakmungkol Sarin

Dr. Supheakmungkol Sarin

Chief Research Officer

A global leader shaping the intersection of AI, policy, and human impact. He advises key institutions like the UN and the World Bank, was a key architect of the AI Governance Alliance at the World Economic Forum where he also convened the inaugural AI Governance Summit, and led inclusive-AI programs at Google that reached over a billion users. His work is deeply informed by his upbringing in post-genocide Cambodia, driving his commitment to ensuring technology serves humanity equitably.

Alejandro Reyes

Alejandro Reyes

Chief Strategy Officer

Scholar-in-residence at the Asia Society. He is adjunct professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration (PPA) and senior fellow at the Centre on Contemporary China and the World (CCCW) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). He had previously served in the department in 2002 as a senior policy adviser to the Canadian foreign minister, working on the G8 and a review of Canadian foreign policy. A Hong Kong-based independent consultant from 2001 to 2017, he worked with several foundations and international organizations including the G20 Business Summit, the Clinton Global Initiative, the World Economic Forum and the US-Asia Institute.

Wing-Yee Lau

Wing-Yee Lau

Chief Operations Officer

Former Global Head of Strategy for Tiktok. Over 10 years experience across product, content operations and digital media at TikTok, the United Nations and The7stars.

Michael L. Bąk

Michael L. Bąk

Head of Policy and Network

Former Head of Policy at Facebook. A policy and digital & human rights professional with 25 years' of international experience working across issues of the political economy including public policy, freedom of expression, digital citizenship, digital rights, tech + democracy, international development, peacebuilding and democratic and crisis governance in diverse contexts.

Ben Goldman

Ben Goldman

Chief of Staff

Cybersecurity and AI PR focus with a background in global diplomacy and conflict resolution. He aided in communications for high-profile clients in AI, cybersecurity, and deep tech, covering everything from graph databases and red teaming to RaaS and pen-testing. He also helped shape how AI is integrated across the agency and support clients on communicating their AI propositions.

Adrian Mak

Adrian Mak

Chief of Staff (Global Affairs)

Adrian bridges AI governance and international dispute resolution as the inaugural Fellow at Stanford Law's AI Initiative and Chief of Staff (Global Affairs) at AI Safety Asia. His research on AI governance, liability, and policy has been published by Cambridge University Press and Hart Publishing. A Stanford LL.M. graduate and lawyer admitted in New York and Hong Kong, he is an active international arbitrator and mediator who has served as a resource person to the Asian Development Bank.

Dr. Melody Shum

Dr. Melody Shum

Chief of Staff (Research)

Interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner bridging history, AI, and societal impact. She led applied research projects for the EU, USAID, and the NHS. She also taught AI safety and governance courses for the Center for AI Safety and Safe AI London. A socio-legal historian of Southeast Asia, her work examined the co-development of social movements in Vietnam and China. She won awards and fellowships from the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Vietnamese Studies Group, with residencies at the Academia Sinica, the École française d'Extrême-Orient Hanoi, and the École Normale Supérieure Paris. She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Melissa Leung

Melissa Leung

Communications Lead

Melissa Leung is an integrated policy communications professional with experience in the coordination of large-scale regional and global public affairs projects. She advised governments, multinational companies, and multilateral organizations on strategic communications. She led the design and execution of an award-winning nation branding program for the Government of Mongolia. She also served as International Media Coordinator for one of Taiwan’s Presidential candidates in the 2024 presidential election in Taiwan. Melissa holds a first class honours degree in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong and a Masters Degree in Global Public Policy from the University of London

Anonyo Mitra

Anonyo Mitra

Capacity Building Lead

Anonyo Mitra serves as Capacity Building Lead at AI Safety Asia, where he bridges technical expertise with policy implementation across Southeast Asia. With a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and over a decade of experience spanning technology, education, and AI governance, Anonyo brings strategic depth to complex stakeholder ecosystems. His work centers on translating frontier AI safety frameworks into actionable capacity-building programs for government officials, policymakers, and civil society actors across the Global South. Anonyo led program management initiatives at Teach For India and served as a Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Summer Associate, consistently demonstrating expertise in systems design and cross-sector collaboration

Gordon Cheung

Gordon Cheung

Product Manager & Software Engineer

Data and AI Coach, Recognised as FY25 Champion Coach (top of 200+ coaches) for outstanding learner outcomes and collaboration with Customer Success, contributing to client satisfaction and programme renewals.

Zar Motik Adisuryo

Zar Motik Adisuryo

Policy Lead

Zar Motik Adisuryo is the Policy Lead at AI Safety Asia and formerly served as the National Representative of Indonesia. Her work focuses on global comparative policy studies in the field of technology governance in the US, EU, UK and Indonesia, bridging policy research and implementation through national, regional and international collaboration. Her current research interests include online disinformation and the social construction of technology in society. She holds an MA in Communication, Culture, and Technology from Georgetown University, Washington D.C

Priyanka Moonsinghe

Priyanka Moonsinghe

Parliament Lead

Priyanka Moonesinghe serves as the Parliament Lead at AI Safety Asia. She has led programmatic and research initiatives to strengthen the Parliament of Sri Lanka and brings over 12 years of experience as a development practitioner and researcher. Her professional background spans roles with an anti-corruption watchdog in Malaysia, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Sri Lanka, and the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL) under the Ministry of Defence. She has also served at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York and in the Operations Division of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. She holds a Master of Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and a BA (Hons) in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick.

P.T. Nhean

P.T. Nhean

Director of Biosecurity

P.T. is the Director of Biosecurity at AISA, leading research, capacity building, and convening programs on AI-Bio, starting with Southeast Asia. She was selected as 1 of 20 fellows (from 2,400+ applicants, 100+ countries) for Biosecurity Fellowship 2025 cohort at Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) Meeting of States in Geneva. P.T. has contributed to UK Government DNA synthesis screening guidance and co-developed a global risk index for AI-enabled biological tools with CLTR, RAND Europe, and UK policymakers. She has previously co-founded Southeast Asia Biosecurity (SEA Bio), coordinated Singapore’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) pilot study, contributed to WHO’s declaration on youth health, and holds a certificate in EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament training.

Sherly Haristya

Sherly Haristya

Consultant

Sherly is an Indonesian independent digital governance researcher and consultant with a mission to promote the development and deployment of inclusive and accountable digital technologies, regulations, and governance for the benefit of the many.In collaboration with various national (Indonesia) and international partners, her research and advisory work have been bridging the global and national debates and stakeholders on digital governance issues. She actively engages with policymakers, the press, and larger communities. She earned her PhD in Communication Studies from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2019. She is the recipient of the 2020 Internet Histories' Early Career Researcher Award for her article "The Efficacy of Civil Society in Global Internet Governance".

Our Advisors


At AI Safety Asia (AISA), our work is built on shared values that guide how we think, act, and collaborate. These principles remind us that progress in technology must always reflect progress in humanity.

Esben Kran

Esben Kran

Founder of Apart and Co-founder of European Network for AI Safety

Hoda A. Alkhzaimi

Hoda A. Alkhzaimi

Co-Chair for Global Future Council for Cyber Security at World Economic Forum

Robert Trager

Robert Trager

Co-Director of the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative

Yi Zeng

Yi Zeng

Founding director of Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance (Beijing-AISI)

Ima Abdulrahim

Ima Abdulrahim

Former Public Policy Director for Southeast Asia at Meta, Former Executive Director of the Habibie Center

Aaron Maniam

Aaron Maniam

Director, Digital Transformation Education, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford Former Deputy Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Communications and Information

Hammam Riza

Hammam Riza

President of KORIKA, delegate to UK AI summit on behalf of Indonesia

Prof. Ying Chan

Prof. Ying Chan

Prof. Ying Chan, is an editorial and media consultant, China expert, journalist, and e-learning advocate. She is the founding director and professor of the (1999-2016) of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at The University of Hong Kong, and the founding dean (2003-2011) of the journalism school at Shantou University in China. Prior to that, Chan spent 23 years working as a reporter and editor in New York City. Her honors include a Polk Award, a Nieman Fellowship and an International Freedom of the Press Award by the CPJ. She is the consulting editor for the Chinese edition of the Global Investigative Journalists Network website. She has edited six books on China's media and is the co-founder and director (2004-2016) of the China Media Project

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