At the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, China, China Southern Power Grid unveiled a suite of innovations aimed at deepening energy cooperation with ASEAN countries. Among the highlights were the DaWatt - Lao Language Large Language Model (LLM) for the Energy and Power Sector V2.0 and the Flexible Grayscale Intelligent Monitoring & Analysis Platform for power system cybersecurity, signaling expanding opportunities in digitalization, intelligent technologies, and green energy.
The Lao-language LLM has already been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it can automatically analyze thousands of inspection images within a short period. After its algorithms were optimized for Laos' mountainous and rainforest terrain, the model completed intelligent inspection analysis for four transmission lines, processing 26,000 drone inspection images and identifying more than 3,600 equipment defects. This demonstrates the potential of AI to enhance grid reliability and maintenance efficiency in challenging environments.
Liu Ying, general manager of the Digitalization Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., said the company has been building multilingual professional corpora for the power sector, covering ASEAN countries including Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Drawing on the DaWatt foundation model, the company is developing energy and power models tailored to ASEAN languages and real-world power industry applications. This effort addresses language barriers that have historically hindered cross-border technical exchanges and cooperation.
Talent development is another critical focus. The China-ASEAN Institute of Energy, jointly established by Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Guangxi University, is exploring an industry-university training model with a strong emphasis on practical experience. So far, two cohorts totaling 53 students from ASEAN countries have enrolled. Cooperation is also evolving from one-way training toward joint innovation. Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have jointly established a laboratory for artificial intelligence and safety equipment, while the company has launched peer-to-peer exchanges with Electricité du Laos on improving power supply reliability.
To further address language barriers, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has developed an AI-powered translation platform backed by a specialized database containing terminology for more than 1,800 types of power equipment. The platform supports accurate translation between Chinese and English, Chinese and Lao, and Chinese and Vietnamese. At a recent training program for Chinese and overseas engineers, the system supported one-click generation of bilingual course materials and real-time speech translation, helping participants navigate highly specialized power-sector terminology.
Sun Xiaohua, deputy director of the Human Resources Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., noted that the company will also explore joint postgraduate programs with universities in ASEAN countries this year. To support regular international exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has established an international talent pool covering management, technical, and skilled personnel, and developed 24 hours of courses on international affairs as well as 20 short-form video courses.
Looking ahead, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. plans to further advance a development model featuring "R&D in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, integration in Guangxi, and application in ASEAN." The company will continue expanding its multilingual power-sector corpora and explore a "Token Goes Global" model for power-sector AI, with computing resources and models based in Guangxi while knowledge services are delivered overseas. This initiative aims to create new forms of China-ASEAN energy cooperation and support the green development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.
For readers, this news underscores the growing integration of AI and digital technologies in energy infrastructure, which could lead to more reliable and efficient power grids across Southeast Asia. It also highlights the importance of cross-border collaboration in talent development and technological innovation, potentially creating new opportunities for businesses and professionals in the energy sector. As China and ASEAN deepen their energy ties, the region may see accelerated progress toward sustainable and smart energy systems.
