On October 6, the Government of Japan virtually hosted the ASEAN Summit Focus Session: Advancing ASEAN–Japan Co–Creation Initiative for AI as part of the ASEAN AI Summit on AI-Powered MSMEs Growth program.

The focus session was attended by Undersecretary Leandro Angelo Aguirre of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) of the Philippines, Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN Yonetani Koji , Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Deputy Director–General Hanada Takahiro, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) Deputy Director–General Sasaki Akihiko, Minister for Economic Affairs Yokota Naobumi, and stakeholders from both public and private sectors.

The focus session highlighted Japan’s policy approaches and key initiatives that support the growth and digital transformation of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through artificial intelligence (AI) across the ASEAN region.

Leading Japanese AI companies, such as Spectee, Inc., Matsuo Institute, Inc., and Preferred Networks, Inc., presented during the session and shared their perspectives on how Japanese companies can work closely with ASEAN member states, following the ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Initiative for AI framework. Their examples demonstrated how AI-powered solutions can drive innovation, enhance business competitiveness, and create new opportunities for sustainable economic development.

The focus session brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and innovation partners to strengthen regional collaboration, accelerate AI adoption across ASEAN, and advance ASEAN-Japan cooperation toward a shared vision of inclusive AI-driven growth.

In his closing remarks, Minister Yokota shared that Japan, “As a ’trusted partner’ to all of you—the key public and private sector players in the ASEAN region—we look forward to working closely together to further accelerate our efforts in co-creating a ’safe, secure, and trustworthy AI’ ecosystem.” Japan Information and Culture Center