What Is APO GAIA?
Under the framework of the Hiroshima AI Process and to support its objectives, the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is implementing the APO Genuine AI Action (GAIA) initiative as a vehicle to promote capacity building and information sharing on AI governance and transparency.
The APO GAIA initiative is structured around two main pillars: (1) APO GAIA Communications and (2) APO GAIA Internship Placements.
Under Pillar 1, APO GAIA Communications, the APO will implement several key activities.
First, the APO will produce monthly podcast episodes featuring public sector policymakers and leading experts from major AI companies and international organizations. These episodes will provide practical insights into AI development and governance with real-world applications.
Second, the APO will hold a series of APO GAIA Panels at the University of Tokyo, bringing together representatives from the private sector, public sector, and international organizations. Three panel discussions are currently scheduled for May, June, and August 2026, including a dedicated session related to the Hiroshima AI Process.
Third, the 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 key activity supporting the Hiroshima AI Process.
Under Pillar 2, APO GAIA Internship Placements, the APO will facilitate internship placements with leading AI companies and public sector institutions. These placements will typically last approximately two months and aim to place top-performing students from the University of Tokyo’s Matsuo-Iwasawa Lab, particularly graduates of the Global Consumer Intelligence program, in local companies seeking to adopt AI technologies. The program will also support collaborative research initiatives led by researchers from the Matsuo-Iwasawa Lab, enabling the development of customized AI solutions for participating organizations.
Through these initiatives, the APO aims to strengthen AI knowledge dissemination, support responsible AI governance, and accelerate practical AI adoption across the Asia-Pacific region.
AI Experts Collaborating with APO GAIA
Professor Yutaka Matsuo
University of Tokyo
Professor Yutaka Matsuo is a leading AI researcher at the University of Tokyo, specializing in deep learning and artificial intelligence. He has held visiting positions at Stanford University in the United States and the National University of Singapore, and he currently serves as Chairman of the Japan Deep Learning Association and as a Board Director at SoftBank Group Corp.
Akira Igata
Project Lecturer at the Economic Security Intelligence Lab,
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology,
University of Tokyo
Main Moderator for the APO GAIA Podcast
Akira Igata leads the Economic Security Intelligence Lab at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo. He also has affiliations with the Center for a New American Security, the Pacific Forum, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the National Security College at the Australian National University, the European Values Center for Security Policy, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture, and the Japanese Society for Cultivated Food.
Professor Tshilidzi Marwala
Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Prior to taking on the role of UNU Rector on 1 March 2023, Professor 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 (2013–17) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (2009–13).
Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro
Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Development Bank Institute
Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro, an Indonesian national, is the Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Before joining the 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 (2014–16), Minister of National Development Planning (2016–19), and Minister of Research and Technology (2019–21). As well as his government and academic roles, he also served as Director General of the Islamic Research and Training Institute (2009–10), now the Islamic Development Bank Institute.
Dr. Brodjonegoro holds a doctorate and master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Indonesia, where he was full Professor and served as Dean from 2005 to 2009.