Research

Understanding Asia to
build AI that actually works

Our research programme explores the unique data landscapes, language challenges, and socioeconomic contexts that shape effective AI for Asian populations.

Research Focus Areas

Where we direct
our attention

01 Low-resource language AI

Developing NLP and language model techniques that work effectively for Bangla, and other South/Southeast Asian languages with limited training data.

02 Agricultural AI for smallholders

Computer vision and predictive modelling techniques adapted to the crop varieties, disease patterns, and climate conditions of South Asia.

03 AI for low-bandwidth environments

Model compression, edge deployment, and offline-first architectures that deliver AI capability without reliable high-speed internet.

04 Labour market intelligence in Asia

Analysing the structure of Asian job markets, skill demand signals, and career trajectory patterns to power career intelligence products.

05 AI accessibility and digital literacy

Understanding how people with varying levels of digital literacy interact with AI interfaces, and designing for genuine inclusion.

Publications & Notes

Our latest
thinking

We publish research notes, findings, and working papers as we build. All work is open — we believe AI knowledge for Asia should be shared.

Working PaperDec 2025

The State of NLP for Bangla: Gaps, Opportunities, and a Path Forward

An overview of existing Bangla NLP datasets, model performance benchmarks, and the specific challenges of building production AI systems for the Bangla language in 2025.

AiAsia Labs Research Team
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Market AnalysisNov 2025

Bangladesh Graduate Employment: Data Gaps and What AI Can Fill

Analysis of the structural mismatch between graduate skill profiles and employer expectations in Bangladesh, with implications for AI-powered career guidance tools.

AiAsia Labs Research Team
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Technical NoteOct 2025

Crop Disease Detection on Low-End Android Devices: A Feasibility Study

Results from testing MobileNet-based crop disease classification models on sub-$50 Android handsets typical of rural Bangladesh. Accuracy, latency, and offline performance benchmarks.

AiAsia Labs Research Team
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EssaySep 2025

Why the Next Decade of Impactful AI Will Be Built in Asia, Not Silicon Valley

An argument for why the most societally significant AI applications of the 2020s will emerge from South and Southeast Asia — and what it will take to build them.

Founder, AiAsia Labs
Read on the blog ↗

Collaborate on
research

We are open to collaborating with universities, research institutions, and domain experts across Asia on problems that matter.