Cambodia Develops Its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy

In 2025 the Cambodian authorities opened a consultation on a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, addressing the way in which AI technologies should be developed, deployed and governed in the Kingdom. The strategy contemplates cross-sector applications, including telecommunications, financial services, health, education, agriculture and public administration, and considers questions of skills, infrastructure, ethics and international cooperation.

The consultation is relevant to telecommunications operators, digital service providers, financial institutions, public sector bodies, universities and civil-society organisations with an interest in the responsible development of AI in Cambodia.

The draft strategy identifies a series of objectives that reflect both opportunities and risks. Opportunities include productivity gains, improvements in service delivery, new business models, extensions of digital inclusion and support for scientific research. Risks include unfair or biased outcomes, over-reliance on opaque systems, concentration of economic power, cybersecurity implications and difficulty in adapting the workforce.

The strategy proposes to pursue opportunities in a manner consistent with human rights, cultural values and long-term development goals, while managing risks through appropriate governance, transparency, accountability and cooperation between the public and private sectors.

The strategy contemplates coordination mechanisms across ministries and sector regulators, so that AI is addressed coherently rather than in a fragmented way. Coordination is particularly important where AI applications cut across sectors, where cross-cutting issues such as data protection are involved and where international engagement is required.

The strategy also anticipates the possibility of guidance, standards or regulation focused specifically on AI, complementing existing sectoral frameworks. Its overall approach favours risk-based and adaptive governance rather than rigid rules that might struggle to accommodate rapid technological change.

Human capital is a central concern of the strategy. Building the skills required to develop, deploy and supervise AI responsibly requires investment in education at all levels, in ongoing professional development and in the retention of talent. The strategy identifies opportunities for cooperation between universities, private sector organisations and public bodies to strengthen the pipeline of AI-capable professionals.

Research and innovation are supported by cooperation with international partners, participation in regional initiatives and support for domestic research capabilities. Cambodia's ambition is not necessarily to replicate frontier research but to be an informed adopter and contributor within a globally connected environment.

AI applications depend on infrastructure, including compute capacity, connectivity and data. The strategy considers the role of national data centres, of cross-border connectivity, of cloud services and of the arrangements through which public and private data can be used responsibly to support AI. Coordination with data protection frameworks and with sectoral data policies is essential.

The strategy encourages efficient use of infrastructure, avoiding duplication where cooperation is feasible, and supports investment in the underlying networks that enable AI applications to reach users across Cambodia.

Ethical considerations are woven through the strategy. Principles such as fairness, transparency, human oversight, safety and accountability inform the way in which AI should be designed and deployed. The strategy encourages organisations to adopt internal governance arrangements consistent with these principles, to be transparent about the use of AI in sensitive contexts and to provide mechanisms for redress when AI-related decisions cause harm.

Alignment with recognised international frameworks supports interoperability and reduces the burden on organisations that operate across multiple jurisdictions. Local adaptation of such frameworks reflects Cambodia's own priorities and cultural context.

The strategy considers specific sectoral applications of AI. In telecommunications, AI can support network optimisation, fraud detection, customer service, personalisation and content moderation. In financial services, it can support credit assessment, fraud detection and inclusion. In health, it can support diagnostics and public health surveillance. In agriculture, it can support crop management, market information and adaptation to climate change.

Sectoral regulators are expected to develop their own perspectives on how AI interacts with their mandates, drawing on the general strategy and on cross-sector coordination. Sector-specific consultation and pilot projects, including through the cross-sector AI sandbox, support learning and refinement.

AI is inherently global, and Cambodia's approach recognises the importance of cooperation with regional and international partners. The strategy contemplates engagement with regional initiatives, participation in relevant international forums and cooperation on standards and interoperability. Cross-border data flows, cybersecurity cooperation and mutual recognition of certain assessments may all form part of this engagement.

Cooperation also extends to civil society and academia across borders, supporting shared learning about the responsible development of AI and about the frameworks that best serve the interests of individuals and communities.

The consultation invites stakeholders to comment on the draft strategy, to identify additional priorities and to propose specific arrangements for implementation. Constructive engagement with the consultation supports a strategy that is realistic, workable and reflective of the diverse perspectives of those affected.

Following the consultation, the strategy is expected to be refined and adopted, with implementation supported by action plans, coordination mechanisms and, where necessary, further guidance. Stakeholders should track these developments and align their own planning accordingly.

For telecommunications operators and digital service providers, the strategy signals the direction of policy on AI and provides a basis for internal planning. Providers should consider how their AI initiatives align with the strategic objectives, how they contribute to skills development and how they participate in the sandbox and other cooperation mechanisms.

For enterprise users, the strategy provides context for their own AI adoption. Understanding the national framework helps in navigating sectoral rules, in engaging responsibly with data and in participating in cooperation opportunities.

Lex Civora advises telecommunications operators, digital service providers, financial institutions and other organisations on engagement with the AI strategy consultation, on the alignment of internal AI initiatives with the strategic direction and on the interaction between the strategy and existing regulatory frameworks.