AIF Insights No. 5 (2026) | AI and Electricity: Safeguarding ASEAN’s Energy Security and Integration in the Digital Era

In the face of global energy instability and rising digital power demands, this article explores the critical role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in safeguarding energy security and fostering integration through the ASEAN Power Grid (APG). While ASEAN has established frameworks like the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) to target 23% renewable energy by 2025, a fully integrated regional grid remains a work in progress. The author argues that AI-driven smart grids can significantly enhance efficiency by predicting demand trends, managing real-time electricity flow, and reducing economic disruptions caused by blackouts. However, the transition faces substantial hurdles, including high implementation costs in developing nations, a regional technological gap, and heightened cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Ultimately, the paper concludes that for ASEAN to achieve true energy resilience, member states must prioritize collaborative defense capacity and regulatory frameworks to protect critical infrastructure against shared regional vulnerabilities.