Silicon Valley Meets APEC Forum Highlights Global Collaboration on Artificial Intelligence
The Bay Area Council, in partnership with co-host MEBO Group, convened leaders from California, Korea, and across the Asia-Pacific in Gyeongju for the 2025 Silicon Valley Meets APEC Forum to accelerate AI innovation alongside responsible governance, cybersecurity, and workforce readiness.
Senior representatives from government, business, and academia—including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the California State Workforce Development Board, Microsoft, Deloitte, and MEBO Group—translated policy dialogue into practical frameworks for collaboration between Silicon Valley and the Asia-Pacific.
A key milestone was the Bay Area Council Economic Institute’s new report, Innovation, Adoption, and the Governance of Artificial Intelligence: A Silicon Valley Perspective, which offers a roadmap to balance innovation with accountability as AI capabilities and risks evolve.
Angelo Farooq, Member of the California State Workforce Development Board and Co-Chair of the Council’s Workforce of the Future Committee, highlighted the Bay Area’s unmatched AI and life sciences ecosystem and pointed to California’s community colleges partnering with NVIDIA as a scalable model for AI curricula and future-ready career pathways grounded in inclusion.
Microsoft’s John Hering warned—drawing from the 2025 Digital Defense Report—that criminals and state actors are already exploiting AI, arguing that winning the “AI race for security” demands stronger cybersecurity baselines, expanded public–private partnerships, and a skilled workforce to operate advanced tools.
The forum culminated a yearlong Council initiative with Silicon Valley experts and Asia-Pacific partners on governance, ethics, and the economic implications of emerging technologies, informing dialogue heading into the APEC CEO Summit and deepening California–Asia-Pacific collaboration.
To learn more or engage with the Council’s Global Business and Investment Committee, contact Sean Randolph or Alex Foard, and check out our upcoming events.
