At the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, China Southern Power Grid unveiled a suite of innovations aimed at deepening energy cooperation between China and ASEAN. The centerpiece was the DaWatt - Lao Language Large Language Model (LLM) for the Energy and Power Sector V2.0, alongside a Flexible Grayscale Intelligent Monitoring & Analysis Platform for power system cybersecurity. These technologies signal a significant shift toward digitalization, intelligent systems, and green energy in the region.
The Lao-language LLM has already been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it rapidly analyzes thousands of inspection images. After optimization for Laos' mountainous and rainforest terrain, the model completed intelligent inspection analysis for four transmission lines, processing 26,000 drone inspection images and identifying over 3,600 equipment defects. This demonstrates AI's potential to overcome geographical barriers and improve maintenance efficiency in challenging environments.
Liu Ying, general manager of the Digitalization Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., explained that the company has been building multilingual professional corpora for the power sector, covering ASEAN countries including Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Leveraging the DaWatt foundation model, the company is developing energy and power models tailored to ASEAN languages and real-world applications. This localization is crucial for effective cross-border collaboration.
Talent development is another pillar of the cooperation. The China-ASEAN Institute of Energy, jointly established by Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Guangxi University, is pioneering an industry-university training model with a strong practical focus. So far, two cohorts totaling 53 students from ASEAN countries have enrolled. Moreover, cooperation is evolving from one-way training to joint innovation. Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have set up a laboratory for artificial intelligence and safety equipment, while the company has initiated peer-to-peer exchanges with Electricité du Laos on improving power supply reliability.
To address language barriers in cross-border technical exchanges, 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 enabled one-click generation of bilingual course materials and real-time speech translation, helping participants navigate highly specialized terminology.
Supporting these efforts, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has established an international talent pool covering management, technical, and skilled personnel. It has developed 24 hours of courses on international affairs as well as 20 short-form video courses. "This year, we will also explore joint postgraduate programs with universities in ASEAN countries," said Sun Xiaohua, deputy director of the Human Resources Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd.
Looking ahead, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. plans to 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.
These developments matter because they address critical challenges in regional energy cooperation: language barriers, technical capacity, and the need for sustainable solutions. By deploying AI tailored to local languages and terrains, China Southern Power Grid is not only enhancing operational efficiency but also fostering deeper integration and knowledge sharing. The emphasis on talent development and joint innovation ensures that ASEAN countries can actively participate in and benefit from the digital transformation of the energy sector, ultimately contributing to the region's green transition and economic growth.
