Big data and AI at turning point

Data management and data analytics are two critical fundamental resources that should be used by Thai enterprises and tech startups to develop innovative services backed by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, instead of working to develop intelligent products or services to compete with global players. Chai Wutiwiwatchai, research unit director of the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (Nectec), said local enterprises can benefit from the many data sets held by state agencies through 20 ministries and the private sector. "Intelligent products and services driven by AI may not be easy to enter for local enterprises and startups, as there are too many global tech players and AI tech-embedded tools available for free in the market," he said. But the government must urgently digitise the existing data sets of all agencies, 70% of which are stored on paper and in portable document format (PDF) files. Speaking on the sidelines of the "AI Shapes the Future" forum last week, Mr Chai said innovative products and services embedded with AI tech have been increasingly accessible in the global market for four years, especially through popular use cases of image recognition, biometrics, cybersecurity and smart speakers.