Microsoft Thailand has announced an artificial intelligence (AI) national initiative as part of its commitment over the next 12 months, aiming to provide AI skills to 1 million Thais.
Microsoft's 2025 operational year commenced in July.
Under the company's AI vision, the initiative covers three groups: users, developers and underserved people, helping Thailand capitalise on the global adoption of generative AI (GenAI) technology. The project also wants to develop creators, promoting the concept of "Born in Thailand".
According to Dhanawat Suthumpun, managing director of Microsoft Thailand, AI adoption and development has accelerated globally since 2022, unlike general purpose technologies that typically take a decade to realise global adoption.
"Leveraging GenAI technology could help enterprises and every individual take their capabilities and creativity to a higher level," he said.
Mr Dhanawat said Microsoft recognises the immense potential of AI and cloud computing to drive positive and lasting change for the people and businesses of Thailand.
"Our unwavering commitment to investing in AI and cloud infrastructure, including data centres, is key to unlocking unprecedented opportunities for Thai individuals, businesses, and the nation as a whole to thrive on the global stage," he said.
Mr Dhanawat said this is a driving force behind the "AI for All Thais" vision, which aims to empower every citizen with the transformative power of AI through three strategies: building essential AI skills, enhancing capabilities and AI adoption at scale, and fostering security to ensure trust and responsible usage.
He said Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella's visit to Thailand in May this year reinforced the company's pledge to drive Thailand to the forefront of the AI and cloud revolution.
This commitment is evident in Microsoft's digital infrastructure investments, including the establishment of a new data centre region in Thailand, and its partnerships with both the public and private sectors on transformative initiatives.
The data centre region will expand the availability of Microsoft's hyperscale cloud services, facilitating enterprise-grade reliability, performance, and compliance with data residency and privacy standards.
Mr Dhanawat said training and education in terms of digital literacy, especially in AI technology, is required for development. According to the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, Thailand ranked 35th in 2023, an improvement upon 40th place in 2022 and 39th in 2021.
When examining the overall factors contributing to the ranking in 2023, Thailand ranked 41st for knowledge, 15th in technology, and 42nd in future readiness. However, when examining the sub-factors, Thailand ranked 52nd out of 64 countries for training and education schemes, which is considered to be very low.
Mr Dhanawat said Microsoft will implement the AI National Skill Initiative in close collaboration with key partners. This goal will be achieved through a diverse and accessible portfolio of training programmes, with over 80% offered in Thai, which have been specially designed for all levels of learners, from the general public and business leaders to developers.
"Cloud and AI tech could unlock the potential of all Thais, both organisations and individuals, especially major sectors that drive the economy such as tourism, which attracted 40 million tourists annually before the pandemic and the agriculture sector that covers 40% of the population in the country but contributes only 6% to GDP."
