The Great Divide: Open vs. Proprietary

Open-source AI drives innovation, challenges monopolies, and expands access—but it also exposes vulnerabilities, empowers bad actors, and accelerates risk. Governments, companies, and civil society grapple with where to draw the line, and who sets the rules. In Southeast Asia, the launch of China’s DeepSeek raises urgent questions: will access to cutting-edge AI unlock regional potential or deepen dependency? And can the region chart its own path in a shifting landscape?