Initiative overview
Cambodia is taking exciting steps in the policy and legal dimension by actively participating in ASEAN discussions on AI governance and working on important legislation such as Personal Data Protection, Cybersecurity, and AI Ethics Guidelines. However, there's still work to be done, as the country does not yet have a finalised national AI strategy, experiences some fragmentation in institutional roles, and has room to grow in cybersecurity maturity and open data performance. Additionally, there is a need for specific laws surrounding AI procurement and access to information.
The social and cultural aspects show encouraging progress in bridging the gender gap in internet usage, along with good PISA results for girls in science and reading. Many initiatives are working hard to close the STEM gender gap, and CADT is making strides by developing Khmer language datasets. Despite these positive steps, Cambodia still faces several challenges, including connectivity issues, a persistent gender gap in STEM fields within higher education and the workforce, low performance in e-government services, and the need to integrate AI ethics into its developing strategies for Digital Health and Cultural Heritage.
The scientific and educational landscape reveals a promising growth in AI publications, emphasising the importance of ethics. Excitingly, new AI and Data Science Master's programs are starting to incorporate ethics into their curricula, and there is a flourishing collaboration with UNESCO to enhance AI education. However, Cambodia still faces several challenges: R&D spending remains on the lower side, many schools lack adequate digital and AI infrastructure, and there is an urgent need to refresh curricula to better equip students with digital skills. Additionally, the demand for advanced AI talent is critical.
Cambodia faces a challenge in having limited data to assess AI's economic aspects thoroughly. However, the assessment identified some promising examples, such as pilot AI projects in the public sector, like Sarika and Khmer Braille, as well as studies on the economic potential of AI to increase GDP by 2030. While AI adoption is still in its early stages, there is a risk of job displacement, so data on AI's impact on the labour market and investments is needed.
The technical and infrastructure dimension highlights potential improvements in mobile connectivity and near universal access to electricity. Cambodia has established statistical standards and is developing draft policies for Cloud First and Data Governance. Nonetheless, there is a pressing need to enhance internet access and speed, as modern data centre capacity is currently limited. Additionally, Cambodia is not represented in AI standardisation bodies, and the statistical infrastructure requires further strengthening.
