Policymaking for a more resilient world: leveraging the World Risk Poll for digital, labour, and industrial policy

New digital technologies are leading to significant implications for safety, ethics, and regulations. Artificial Intelligence (AI), for example, while transforming industries, also brings with it serious challenges – like potential job losses, the spread of misinformation, and ethical issues – that are particularly urgent in emerging economies with weaker policy frameworks. 

The World Risk Poll provides valuable insights into these concerns. Our project will use World Risk Poll data to inform policies and interventions that save lives and enhance people's sense of safety, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. 

By deepening our understanding of global perceptions and experiences of risks – such as those associated with AI, the use of personal data and work-related hazards – we aim to identify critical policy gaps and directly inform effective policymaking. In doing so, we hope to improve knowledge that can shape policies to address these risks and promote a safer, more resilient future for communities.

We will complement the World Risk Poll data with international datasets, such as the OECD AI Incidents Monitor, the OECD AI Policy Observatory, Trade Agreements Provisions on Electronic-commerce and Data (TAPED), UNIDO Statistics, and ILOSTAT. We will then produce policy briefs focusing on four key areas:

• AI frameworks and regulations for safe and inclusive AI use;
• digital economy agreements including regulations for cross-border data flows;
• the role of industrial policy in enhancing socio-economic resilience;
• and labour policies to mitigate workplace risks.

These policy briefs will include recommendations highlighting areas in which policy interventions are needed to address these risks in Southeast Asia. To make sure our findings are relevant and impactful, we will actively engage with policymakers and key stakeholders to pinpoint pressing issues and current policy developments. 

We’ll then disseminate our findings through a range of activities, including in-person and online seminars, workshops with national and international stakeholders, and audio-visual materials summarising the key insights.

This project will inform policies and provide actionable recommendations to mitigate risks and make people feel safer. We will produce briefs using accessible language and include practical examples from international experiences, offering hands-on insights.

For example, by enhancing our understanding of how AI tools can displace workers, or misuse personal data, we can help governments and policymakers develop ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks that protect citizens, especially in emerging economies that may lack such policies. We will provide insights into the risks related to data protection and digital identities to ensure safer digital environments across the region.

Additionally, we will connect industrialisation to socioeconomic resilience to promote strategies that help communities better withstand economic shocks and disruptions. 

World Risk Poll data is crucial for this project because it provides unique, globally comparable insights into how people perceive and experience different types of risks, such as those related to AI and data privacy. This data is particularly valuable in regions like Southeast Asia, where such information is often scarce or fragmented. 

The Poll allows us to track trends and differences in risk perception across diverse populations, providing the evidence base needed to inform effective policy changes, guide stakeholder engagement, and prioritise interventions that address the most pressing safety issues. In short, it equips us with the knowledge needed to create more impactful and context-specific strategies for enhancing safety and resilience.

We want to make our outputs as useful and timely as possible for policymakers. We particularly want to talk to those currently developing digital, labour, and industrial policies. We would like to understand better the types of risks they see emerging and identify the mitigation strategies required.

In addition, we want to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including industry leaders, academics, civil society organisations, and international bodies focused on digital governance, AI ethics, data privacy, socioeconomic resilience, and workplace safety.

Collaborating with these groups, particularly with those with knowledge of the Southeast Asia region, will help us increase the reach and influence of our findings and ensure that our insights are effectively translated into policies and practices that promote safety and resilience across the region.

To find out more about this project, get in touch with the project team at: [email protected]