Bangkok, June 1 -- ASEAN's race to become a new AI hub is accelerating, as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand pour money into semiconductors, data centres and AI adoption, but the boom is also exposing the region to mounting risks - from job displacement and widening inequality to energy shortages, water stress and fears of a technology bubble.

Across the region, technology companies are moving rapidly to develop artificial intelligence that can perform tasks previously done by humans.

One example is Malaysia's Zetrix AI, which aims to deliver an intelligent AI agent called "Avatar" to 1 million users across ASEAN by the end of 2026. The company says the AI agent will be able to handle tasks ranging from filling out documents to serving a...