The Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 summit was held from October 31 to November 1 in Gyeongju, South Korea, and it brought together leaders from 21 members, also known as member economies. South Korea hosted the conference, and the summit concluded with the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on the last day.
APEC was established in 1989 as a 12-member forum to promote free trade and economic cooperation. Free trade is unrestricted trade without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions. APEC currently comprises 21 members, including the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea.
This year’s meetings were under the banner of “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connectivity, Innovation and Prosperity”, placing an emphasis on the need to address cooperation, shared trade benefits, supply chain resilience, and science and technology innovation. The member economies assembled to create and compromise on the Gyeongju Declaration, the AI (Artificial Intelligence) Initiative (the first AI agreement endorsed by both the US and China), and the Collaborative Framework for Demographic Changes (a plan that responds to the challenges that population shifts create).
During the APEC CEO Summit, more than 1,700 business executives gathered in Gyeongju. The theme of this initial summit was “Bridge, Business, Beyond”. It highlighted cutting-edge sectors — such as energy transition, digital innovation, AI, and healthcare — to reshape the global economic landscape. Speakers of this summit included Jensen Huang, Antony Cook, and Joaquin Duato. They offered perspectives and strategies from business leaders, aiming to create a sustainable future for all.
The APEC AI Initiative (2026-2030) represents a unified commitment by APEC leaders to use the potential of artificial intelligence to drive inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economic growth. APEC economies seek to leverage their diverse strength and capabilities to advance shared prosperity while addressing emerging challenges. The initiative identifies three strategic goals: Goal A – Advancing Successful AI Transformation, Goal B – Building AI Capacities at All Levels, and Goal C – Cultivating an Investment Ecosystem for Resilient AI Infrastructure. Goal A focuses on coordinated, economy-wide, and regional approaches to AI adoption. This includes voluntary reviews of AI readiness, multi-stakeholder collaboration — especially supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) — policy exchanges on AI development and adoption strategies, and the promotion of secure, human-centered AI use. Goal B places an emphasis on equipping all with the knowledge and skills that can benefit from AI. It calls for developing AI capabilities in the public sector, private sector, workforce, and consumers, and promoting regional cooperation to bridge capability gaps. Goal C addresses the need for sustainable investment in digital and energy infrastructure — such as cloud systems, data centers, and power grids — to support large-scale AI adoption. It encourages policies and partnerships that enable public and private investment, energy-efficient systems, and cross-border collaboration to bridge digital divides and ensure equitable benefits.
For implementation, APEC fora and sub-fora, specifically the Digital Economy Steering Group and Telecommunications and Information Working Group, are tasked with integrating the initiative into their work plans and coordinating with key stakeholders like the APEC Business Advisory Council and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council. Progress will be reviewed annually, with a comprehensive assessment scheduled for 2030. The initiative demonstrates APEC’s commitment to responsibly advancing AI, ensuring that all member economies can contribute to and benefit from its economic and societal transformation.
The APEC AI Initiative strongly emphasizes AI education, which aligns with CA’s mission to prepare students for a rapidly changing world through critical thinking, ethical engagement, and global awareness. Both are preparing people to responsibly navigate an AI-empowered future.