Empower, Don’t Restrict: True Corp Chief Urges AI Literacy Over Digital Bans for Thailand’s Youth

 

 

True Corporation’s Oliver Kittipong Veeratacha calls for youth AI empowerment, balancing Thailand’s world-class infrastructure with vital digital ethics. 

 

Thailand’s rapid ascent as a regional digital hub cannot be sustained by restricting the younger generation's access to emerging technologies. Instead, the nation must shift its focus toward deep digital empowerment and "AI literacy."

 

This is the visionary outlook shared by Oliver Kittipong Veeratacha, chief brand officer of True Corporation, in an exclusive interview with The Nation.

 

Addressing the growing debate over how to manage youth technology consumption, Kittipong firmly rejected the notion of enforcing rigid digital bans.

 

"You can’t limit the young generation from using digital tools if you want them to excel in this area," Kittipong stated. "Instead, we must keep an eye on them, help them have fun with what they want to do, and encourage them to realise the true power of digital technology. It is a fascinating platform for them to build their own potential."

 

Rather than shielding youth from the internet, Kittipong argued that the focus should be on nurturing natural curiosity, providing proper guidance, and fostering moderation. 

 

By treating technology as an enabler rather than a distraction, Thailand can transform its highly active online youth into a generation of creators, utilising digital platforms to achieve their raw passions.

 

 

 

An Infrastructure Powerhouse with a Savvy Population

Kittipong highlighted that Thailand's foundational ecosystem is already remarkably robust. The kingdom consistently ranks among the top 10 globally for broadband internet performance and telecom infrastructure investment.

 

Furthermore, Thailand leads Southeast Asia in terms of data centre readiness, fuelled by an incredibly high rate of daily internet consumption.

 

"The fascinating thing about Thailand is how dynamically our people adapt to new media and technology," Kittipong observed. "Thai consumers are highly creative in their deployment of AI. We have high hopes that this unique blend of digital native culture, local content creators, and infrastructure will soon yield global prototypes of innovation."

 

 

 

 

The Double-Edged Sword: Competitiveness vs. Readiness Gaps

While Thailand's hardware is world-class, Kittipong cautioned that technological advancement is a double-edged sword that demands robust defensive measures, particularly in cybersecurity.

 

He stressed that as artificial intelligence becomes deeply intertwined with daily data generation, the young generation must be equipped with thorough "AI literacy."

 

"AI and data work together," Kittipong explained. "Young people need to understand how to collaborate with AI innovatively while exercising solid human judgement. Advancement must go hand in hand with social goodness. It has to be technology for good."

 

 

 

 

 

This urgent call for digital literacy and structural readiness aligns closely with the broader macroeconomic data tracking Thailand's digital landscape.

 

According to the latest IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, Thailand has climbed four spots to 26th globally out of 70 economies, driven by strong international investment and labour market improvements.

 

However, economic analysts warn that beneath this headline growth lies a persistent risk in overall productivity, scientific employment, and AI-related publication metrics.

 

The disparity between consumer adoption and industrial readiness is further highlighted by the newly launched Thailand AI Readiness Index (TARI)—a joint public-private initiative by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), AIS Academy, and IRIS Consulting.

 

The TARI framework aims to address the exact structural weaknesses Kittipong identified, acting as a national "health check" to transition Thai enterprise from merely buying technology to actively creating it.

 

Furthermore, the Network Readiness Index underscores this exact national dichotomy: while Thailand ranks an impressive 13th globally for digital usage by individuals, it lags significantly at 103rd in Business technology integration and 68th in broader economic impact.

 

 

 

Shaping an Ethical Digital Future

For major tech conglomerates like True Corporation, bridging this gap between individual digital fluency and national innovation is the ultimate priority. The mission ahead is clear: ensuring that the country’s high internet engagement translates into meaningful economic productivity without compromising on safety.

 

"Every organisation pushing Thailand's digital competency is now focusing heavily on cybersecurity and ethical guardrails," Kittipong concluded.

 

By championing structured guidance over blanket restriction, Thailand’s leadership hopes to steer its creative, tech-savvy youth toward becoming the architects of Asia's digital future.