Tech giant leaders call for global cooperation to balance AI innovation

Meta Asia-Pacific Vice President Simon Milner speaks during a session on the artificial intelligence-driven economy at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Leaders of global tech giants Amazon Web Service (AWS), Meta and Naver emphasized the importance of global cooperation to achieve a balance between rapid artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and responsible governance.

During a session on the AI-driven economy at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, Meta Asia-Pacific Vice President Simon Milner underscored access to open-source AI and international cooperation as critical pathways for ensuring trustworthy and inclusive technology.

“AI is evolving from generic tools to a super-smart system to learn from you, adapt to your goals and tasks, and help solve your unique problems,” he said.

“Meta is actively engaged in that global conversation about AI, its competitiveness, regulation and the safeguards needed for responsible development,” he said.

He shared that the company has collaborated with the nonprofit organization Linux Foundation to explore how open and collaborative approaches to AI can accelerate growth in the APEC region and ensure the benefits of advancement are distributed to everyone.

“Open access (to AI) is helping emerging economies like Indonesia and Vietnam leap barriers to digital growth. AI enables governments, researchers and developers to build and find models that reflect the local languages, cultural norms and priorities, strengthening trust and inclusion.”

Naver, Korea’s leading internet giant, highlighted the foundational role of diversity, data infrastructure and equitable access.

Sharing the company’s journey from starting in the search engine sector to developing full-stack AI, CEO Choi Soo-yeon stressed the importance of AI infrastructure.

“The foundation of AI that creates a better future for everyone lies in AI data centers; they serve as a core infrastructure for connecting the digital ecosystem and building a more inclusive and sustainable AI,” she said.

Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon speaks during a session on the artificial intelligence-driven economy at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

However, she noted, solving the challenges posed by power and environmental issues involving AI data centers calls for collective efforts.

“We aim to ensure that each nation’s unique culture and diversity can also be part of the AI ecosystem that we pass on to the future,” she said. “Together with APEC economies, we will build a partnership, one that respects each nation’s unique culture and diversity while creating global standards.”

AWS CEO Matt Garman provided vivid evidence of AI’s economic value, saying that the company is planning a major expansion of cloud infrastructure in APEC regions with large-scale investments by 2028.

“You need to have a robust worldwide infrastructure in order to make (innovation) a reality, and AWS is investing to make this true. It all starts with that solid foundation,” he said.

“You need improved security, operational rigor and a regional footprint which is local to your country, as well as a global footprint that spans around the world.”

Meanwhile, the second day of the CEO Summit included nine sessions spanning topics from the global economy, finance and digital currency to K-Culture, retail and carbon neutrality.

During a session on digital transformation and retail efficiency, GS1 President Renaud de Barbuat addressed the challenges in adopting digital transformation in the retail field.

“In an AI-driven retail economy, trusted data is not just a technical asset; it is the foundation of trust between consumers, businesses and governments,” he said. “AI can only be as good as the data it learns from. Without trusted and interoperable data, AI will amplify errors instead of efficiency.”

Sharing the company’s project to improve supply chain transparency and support trade flows within and across regions, de Barbuat stressed that collaboration among all stakeholders, from businesses and governments to international organizations, is essential to building a secure and efficient future retail environment.

“Digital tools can also improve product safety and make trade more efficient. Yet, to realize these benefits, trading partners need to share quality data across the entire value chain … Without trusted data, none of those opportunities can be fully realized,” he said.

“Building a trusted data ecosystem is the bridge between today’s fragmented systems and a truly intelligent, sustainable retail future.”