Bangkok: The National Digital Economy and Society Commission (NDESC) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) are pressing for the disclosure of contracts involving 14 AI companies tasked with preventing the transmission of Thai citizens' data abroad. They caution against halting the initial payment installment, emphasizing that registration numbers alone do not reflect the taxpayer-funded program's value.
According to Thai News Agency, Dr. Kardee Leowpairoj, a Member of Parliament and Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, discussed the ongoing investigation into the TH AI Passport project managed by the DE and NDESC. He highlighted that the Committee on Communications, Information Technology, and Telecommunications is scrutinizing technical details, particularly in relation to procurement contracts and safeguarding citizens' personal data.
Dr. Kardee noted that despite a reported increase in pre-registrations, this does not indicate cost-effectiveness or justify hastening the verification process. The pivotal issue lies in the terms of service, which require user consent to send data for processing to servers abroad, conflicting with the original Terms of Reference (TOR) that mandated domestic data storage and processing.
The Democrat Party deputy leader expressed concerns over the lack of formal contracts between government agencies, contractors, and the 14 AI companies, despite informal explanations that data transmission abroad was merely technical and would not train other AI models.
In response, three key proposals were submitted:
1. Suspend the first installment payment until a revised draft contract, reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General, is released to ensure clear payment terms and responsibilities.
2. Clarify the pay-per-active-user criteria, which currently remain vague, potentially leading to high per-capita costs without effectively promoting public learning or upskilling.
3. Require written confirmation that data will not be used for further benefit. If official confirmation cannot be provided by all 14 AI providers, the project should be terminated.
Dr. Kardee urged for a purposeful allocation of budgets to groups truly in need, such as SMEs and educational personnel, to protect taxpayers' money and called for openness from those in power to heed these warnings.