Sebastian Tai Jian Haw

When generative AI burst into the global mainstream, the spotlight landed on Silicon Valley’s models and China’s foundational AI race. But in Southeast Asia, a quieter revolution has taken root, not marked by billion-dollar models or massive data centers, but by everyday adaptation, creativity, and constraint-driven innovation.

The most successful digital transformations I have seen were not about flashy tech or big budgets. They were about people who could translate across the many gaps between business, technology, and culture. As Southeast Asia races toward its AI-driven future, we cannot ignore the human infrastructure needed to make it real. Without translators, even the best…