CEOs at the “AI Revolution” seminar encouraged organisations to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) due to its increasing relevance. Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, the Group CEO of WHA Corporation Plc, a leading logistics and industrial facilities service provider, emphasised the integration of AI into daily life and noted WHA’s adoption of AI across the logistics, utilities, and digital sectors for enhancing efficiency. She highlighted the need for organisations to become data-driven, with employees receiving AI training, and stressed the importance of government support for AI integration.

Auttapol Rerkpiboon, CEO of PTT Plc, a prominent player in the oil and gas sector, emphasised the growing demand for AI and robotics experts and PTT’s efforts to adopt AI in various sectors, including power and healthcare. Arak Sutivong, deputy CEO of SCBX, a leading financial technology company in Thailand, emphasised the importance of understanding AI’s usage and shared SCBX’s goal of generating 75% of its revenue from AI in five years. Meanwhile, Jirayut Srupsrisopa, CEO of Bitkub, a cryptocurrency exchange start-up, highlighted AI’s transformative potential across industries and the need for individuals to upskill in areas like communication and AI training.
Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/tech/40030454
 
What this means for the UK sector

The rapid adoption of AI in Thai businesses and the active promotion of AI by the Thai government offer opportunities for the UK sector. Especially as the National AI Strategy and Action Plan (2022–2027), launched in 2022 to foster AI development and its application, places a significant emphasis on AI skills development and education. Numerous initiatives are expected to be forthcoming in the Thai research and higher education sectors in order to meet Thailand’s goal of producing more than 30,000 AI talents within six years of the plan (2022–2027). AI scholarship programmes, as well as measures to enhance cooperation and collaboration with researchers and experts from abroad, are also expected to be in the pipeline.

The interest generated for AI degrees and training programmes in Thailand could well lead to a surge in Thai students seeking to pursue AI-related courses in the UK. Additionally, the strong focus on AI in Thailand creates prospects for collaboration between UK and Thai institutions in AI education and research. Ultimately, Thailand’s AI drive will open doors for UK education, research, and collaboration, benefiting both nations. UK universities should, therefore, strive to take advantage of the expected increase in demand for AI talent and expertise in Thailand by conducting a strategic review of their course offerings in AI-related fields and ensuring their relevance, as well as incorporating knowledge of AI-related courses in their marketing and recruitment strategies.