Why Big Tech Is Racing to Build AI Hubs Across the Asia Pacific
- Category: AI Automations
- Date 20-11-2025
The race for global AI dominance is accelerating—and tech giants are increasingly looking to the Asia Pacific region to secure their lead. Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are all expanding their footprint in key Asian markets, signaling a strategic shift toward tapping into the region’s rapid AI adoption, talent pool, and real-world testing environments.
Google made one of the boldest moves this week, announcing a new research lab in Singapore after more than doubling its Google DeepMind team across APAC over the past year. The company says the lab will focus on hands-on collaboration with governments, academic institutions, and industry partners to advance applied AI research.
Google isn’t the only one investing heavily in the region. OpenAI opened a Singapore office at the end of 2024 and aims to grow its local team to 50 employees by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Anthropic plans to open a new office in Seoul in early 2026, with COO Paul Smith noting that Asia is home to three of the company’s top five user bases worldwide—specifically Korea, Japan, and India.
Infrastructure development is surging as well. Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are all ramping up data center projects across Asia, building the foundation required to support next-generation AI systems.
There are clear reasons for this shift. According to the Stanford University 2025 AI Index Report, public optimism toward AI is significantly higher in countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and China. The region is also emerging as a powerful “proving ground” for applied AI, says Charles Wong, co-founder and CEO of Bifrost AI. He notes that companies like DeepMind are drawn not just by talent, but by the ability to test AI against unique, high-complexity scenarios that aren’t found in the U.S. or Europe.
Ultimately, the Asia Pacific expansion reflects a larger trend: with the U.S. AI market becoming increasingly saturated, global tech companies are looking abroad for growth, influence, and access to massive new user bases. As the competition intensifies, APAC is quickly becoming the next frontier in the global AI race.