Artificial intelligence and digital technologies should support inclusive development, narrow development gaps and empower small and medium-sized enterprises to accelerate digital transformation, turning the Asia-Pacific's economic dynamism into more inclusive and sustainable growth, scholars and industry experts said.

They made their remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Digital and Intelligent Economy Sustainable Development Innovation Week, which was held in Shenzhen on Thursday.

Zheng Yongnian, dean of the School of Public Policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, said the Asia-Pacific remains the world's most dynamic region despite growing geopolitical uncertainties.

Stressing that technological innovation should strengthen rather than fragment regional economic ties, he called for greater openness and international collaboration on artificial intelligence.

Philip Schellekens, chief economist of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, pointed out that AI presents not only enormous opportunities but also risks widening the digital divide if access to digital infrastructure, affordable devices and locally relevant AI applications remains uneven.

Elaborating on the risks behind that divide, Schellekens said the world is facing “a capability gap and a vulnerability gap”.

“Typically, rich countries are far more capable of benefiting from the good things of AI,” he said, noting that they generally have better infrastructure, more reliable access to electricity and stronger skills.

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“The benefits that AI will bring — and there will be many — will be more pronounced in the richer countries,” while the disruptions could fall more heavily on poorer economies, he said.

Schellekens called for policies that “build inclusion into the development trajectory of AI” and make AI “more people-centered”, as well as global cooperation to ensure the AI race is “a race to the top and not a race to the bottom”.

Echoing that view, Pak Sudrajat, president of the Association of Indonesia-China Economic, Social and Cultural Cooperation, urged Asia-Pacific economies to deepen collaboration in digital innovation, saying closer partnerships among governments, businesses and research institutions will be essential to building an open, resilient and inclusive digital ecosystem.

Sudrajat said stronger cooperation would need to extend across the entire innovation ecosystem. “We need collaboration. We need the ecosystem to work together. We need cooperation among governments, industries and capital,” he said.

He added that China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should integrate their hardware, software, AI and startup ecosystems.

“Shenzhen is very strong in technology research and development, and supply chains in Shenzhen are also very strong. ASEAN has a large market, data and a good strategic location. When you cooperate with ASEAN, the cooperation can also reach the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world.”

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Li Zhiming, director of the China Center for Promoting SME Cooperation and Development, said SMEs should be better equipped to adopt digital technologies, noting that AI and data-driven solutions can improve productivity, reduce costs and create new opportunities for innovation.

Chen Yanshan and Yao Xi contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com