What is APO GAIA?

Under the framework of the Hiroshima AI Process (HAIP), the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is implementing the APO Genuine AI Action (GAIA) initiative as a vehicle to promote capacity building, seminars, and information sharing on AI governance and transparency in support of HAIP objectives.

The APO GAIA initiative is structured around two main pillars: (1) GAIA Communications and (2) GAIA Internship Placements.

Under Pillar 1: GAIA Communications, APO will implement several key activities.

First, APO will produce bi-weekly AI Expert Podcasts, with approximately 20–25 podcast episodes annually, featuring leading experts from major AI companies, public-sector policymakers, and international organizations. These podcasts will provide practical insights on AI development, governance, and real-world applications.

Second, APO will organize a series of GAIA AI Panel Discussions at the University of Tokyo, bringing together representatives from the private sector, public sector, and international organizations. Three panel discussions are currently scheduled for April, June, and August 2026, including a dedicated session related to the Hiroshima AI Process.

Third, APO will host the APO GAIA Summit, in coordination with the United Nations University (UNU), in October or November 2026 in Tokyo. The summit will invite global AI leaders, policymakers, researchers, and industry representatives to discuss the future of responsible and productive AI development. This event will serve as a highlight activity supporting the Hiroshima AI Process.

Under Pillar 2: GAIA Internship Placements, APO will facilitate internship placements with leading AI companies and public-sector institutions. The program will place top-performing students from the University of Tokyo’s Matsuo AI Lab, particularly graduates of the Global Consumer Intelligence (GCI) program, into internships with local companies.

These placements will typically last approximately two months and aim to pair high-performing AI students with companies seeking to adopt AI technologies. The program will also support collaborative research initiatives led by researchers from the Matsuo AI Lab at the University of Tokyo, enabling the development of customized AI solutions for participating organizations.

Through these initiatives, APO aims to strengthen AI knowledge dissemination, support responsible AI governance, and accelerate practical AI adoption across the Asia-Pacific region.

AI Experts in Collaboration with APO Genuine AI Action (GAIA)

Yutaka MATSUO

The University of Tokyo

Yutaka Matsuo is a leading AI researcher and professor at the University of Tokyo, specializing in deep learning and artificial intelligence. He has held visiting positions at Stanford University and the National University of Singapore, and currently serves as Chairman of the Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA) and a Board Director at SoftBank Group Corp.

Professor Akira Igata

Economic Security Intelligence Lab (ESIL), RCAST,
The University of Tokyo

Main MC/Facilitator for the GAIA Podcast

Akira Igata leads the Economic Security Intelligence Lab (ESIL) at RCAST, the University of Tokyo. He also has affiliations with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), Pacific Forum, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), National Security College at the Australian National University (ANU), European Values Center for Security Policy (EVC), the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA), and the Japanese Society for Cultivated Food.

Professor Tshilidzi Marwala

Rector of the United Nations University; Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

Prior to taking up the role of UNU Rector on 1 March 2023, Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala served as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg (South Africa) from January 2018 through February 2023. He had previously served as that university’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalization (2013–2017) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (2009–2013).

Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro

Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)

Bambang Brodjonegoro, an Indonesian national, is the Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Before joining ADBI in April 2025 he was Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Economic Affairs and National Development. He served the Government of Indonesia in several senior leadership roles from 2011. He was Indonesia’s Minister of Finance (2014–2016), Minister of National Development Planning (2016–2019), and Minister of Research and Technology (2019-2021). Besides government and academic, he also served as Director General of Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (2009-2010).

Dean Brodjonegoro holds a doctorate and master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in economics from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, where he was full Professor and serving as Dean during 2005-2009.