Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), blockchain, and other emerging technologies can play a critical role in combating corruption and restoring public trust across APEC economies, according to Emmanuel San Andres and Glacer Niño Vasquez of the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU).
AI and ML can enable real-time monitoring, risk scoring, pattern detection, and predictive analytics, automating investigations and streamlining evidence gathering. These tools also strengthen institutional capacity by providing adaptive training for government officials to better identify and prevent corrupt practices.
Meanwhile, blockchain technology offers secure, transparent, and tamper-proof ledgers for government transactions, supply chains, and identity management, making it harder for corrupt activities to go unnoticed. Other tools, including remote sensing and facial recognition, could further enhance compliance monitoring and anomaly detection.
However, the experts cautioned that successful adoption of these technologies depends on data integrity, robust legal frameworks, privacy safeguards, and strong collaboration between governments, the private sector, and civil society. Training and capacity-building, they added, will be essential to ensure that technology complements—not replaces—human oversight.
“These innovations are not a silver bullet,” San Andres and Vasquez stressed. “But if effectively integrated into governance, they can transform the fight against corruption and position APEC economies as global leaders in transparency and accountability.”
