Invitation to 2026 Asia Privacy Bridge Forum
Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving beyond systems that merely generate content or respond to prompts. Emerging autonomous AI agents can increasingly make decisions, use external tools, coordinate with other systems, and act across digital environments with limited human intervention. These developments create significant opportunities for innovation, while also raising new questions about resilience, accountability, privacy, human oversight, and the responsible use of data. This year’s APB Forum seeks to address these challenges by bringing together diverse experts from across Asia and beyond.
The 15th Asia Privacy Bridge Forum, held in conjunction with Privacy Global Edge, convenes under the theme “Autonomous Agents in Motion: Securing Resilience and Accountability in AI & Privacy.” The theme reflects a shared need to ensure that, as AI systems become more autonomous and interconnected, technological progress continues in ways that are reliable, accountable, and consistent with fundamental rights and responsible data practices.
Over the years, the APB Forum has developed into a platform for sustained international dialogue on AI governance, data privacy, and digital responsibility. It has brought together participants from more than 19 countries and engaged regulators, policymakers, industry leaders, academics, civil society, practitioners, and international organizations including the OECD and APEC. By bringing these different perspectives into conversation, the Forum has sought to bridge technological development with legal, policy, institutional, and societal considerations.
Building on this foundation, APB 2026 will explore how governance can evolve alongside increasingly autonomous AI systems. The Forum will consider how innovation can be encouraged while responsibility remains identifiable, systems remain resilient, privacy and personal data are protected, and meaningful human oversight is maintained. It will also examine how cooperation across sectors and jurisdictions can help address challenges that extend beyond the capacity of any single institution, industry, or country.
At a time when AI is developing faster than many existing governance frameworks, open dialogue, mutual learning, and practical cooperation are more important than ever. I hope that APB 2026 will provide an inclusive forum in which different experiences and perspectives can contribute to approaches that strengthen both innovation and trust, and help shape a more responsible and resilient digital future. On behalf of the organizing committee, I extend my sincere appreciation to all participants for joining the 15th Asia Privacy Bridge Forum.
Beomsoo KIM
Executive Director, Barun ICT Research Center
Yonsei University
“Behind the Scenes: Enhancing AI Data Governance and Digital Responsibility”
This year, the 14th Asia Privacy Bridge Forum moves beyond the polished facade of artificial intelligence to uncover the critical realities operating “behind the scenes.” Our journey begins within the enterprise itself in Scene 1, exploring how to move Beyond Compliance to the Corporate Culture by embedding genuine Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) into the very fabric of an organization. This internal commitment to ethics, however, inevitably confronts a broader societal challenge, leading us directly to Scene 2: The Architect's Dilemma, where we will debate the urgent need to forge a new social contract for data. Solving this dilemma requires more than top-down rules; it demands empowering the individual, pushing us in Scene 3 to look Beyond Governance and harness the transformative power of MyData and user-centric frameworks. With individuals empowered as the foundation, we can then lift our gaze in Scene 4 to The Next Frontier, charting a course for Asia's Collaborative Data Future where trust enables shared prosperity. By connecting these four vital scenes, the APB Forum is dedicated to building a comprehensive roadmap for a future of responsible innovation and genuine digital trust.
Discussion
