The AI for Social Good Strengthening Capabilities and Governance Frameworks in Asia and the Pacific project was a collaboration between the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (United Nations ESCAP), and government partners in Bangladesh and Thailand. The overall goal was to support the development of country-specific AI governance frameworks and capabilities to enable transparent ecosystems and AI solutions for socio-economic challenges. The project brought together academic researchers and government stakeholders through a series of workshops and meetings to formulate evidence-based policies and strategies. Two research teams produced country case studies on leveraging AI for maternal health in Bangladesh, with two other research teams addressing digital health governance and data governance for poverty alleviation in Thailand.

The final report shares key findings across the research highlighted barriers currently inhibiting effective AI adoption and provided recommendations to address these.