Unlike their prominent role in leveraging social media for advocacy in the early 2000s, human rights-based civil society organisations (CSOs) are now sidelined in discussions dominated by governments and technology companies.
This exclusion limits their ability to ensure that Artificial Intelligence (AI) serves public interests, especially in areas related to democracy and human rights. To close this gap, Asia Centre has established the AI Hub for CSOs.
Since 2024, Asia Centre has actively contributed to AI-related discourse across the region by engaging in collaborations with UN agencies, international NGOs and technology companies. These efforts include participating in high-level events and hosting discussions on AI literacy in electoral management, gender-sensitive AI policies and digital democracy.
Through these activities, Asia Centre has built strong networks and developed expertise at the intersection of AI, governance and civil society. These experiences have directly informed the creation of the AI Hub, equipping the Centre with the insight and partnerships necessary to lead regional efforts that place CSOs at the heart of AI governance.
The Asia Centre AI Hub for CSOs will officially launch on 1 September 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, to address the lack of AI literacy among human rights-based civil society organisations.
Strategically located in Phayathai Plaza Building in central Bangkok, the Hub offers a fully equipped, collaborative workspace that supports CSOs in adopting AI tools aligned with their missions.
The facility includes a welcoming reception area with a pantry and lounge, a main workspace with modern workstations, a large meeting room, a discussion room and an administrative office, providing the environment needed to build digital capacity and foster innovation.
Beyond physical infrastructure, the AI Hub is designed to ensure that human rights-based CSOs are meaningfully included in AI policy discussions and ethical frameworks. It will serve as a platform for inclusive dialogue by connecting tech experts, policymakers and civil society actors, enabling them to exchange ideas and co-develop rights-respecting AI solutions. The Hub also promotes responsible AI use that upholds human rights principles and democratic values.
By empowering CSOs to lead in AI-driven advocacy and governance, the AI Hub strengthens their role in shaping a digital future that is inclusive, ethical and just. Its central location in Bangkok, with easy access to public transport and regional networks, makes it an ideal base for collaboration and outreach across the Asia-Pacific region.
AI is transforming societies across the Asia Pacific, but this progress remains uneven. Despite AI’s increasing influence on governance, the voices of CSOs are notably absent from policy and development processes. Asia Centre is pleased to step in to help bridge this gap.
The Asia Centre AI Hub is one of four specialised hubs that comprise the wider Asia Centre network in the region. There is the Research Hub in Bangkok, Thailand, the Media Hub in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and the Training Hub in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Together, the Asia Centre Hubs each serve a distinct function to advance the Centre’s mission to support CSOs across Asia and beyond.
If you are interested in collaborating with Asia Centre, please send us an email query at contact@asiacentre.org or make an appointment to visit us at our office. You can also reach us through Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Asia Centre is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It serves as a knowledge partner and undertakes evidence-based research as well as provides capacity-building training for end beneficiaries. If you would like to collaborate with the Centre on AI Hub for CSOs, please send an expression of interest to.ai@asiacentre.org
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