At the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, China Southern Power Grid presented a suite of innovations aimed at strengthening energy cooperation between China and ASEAN. 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. These technologies underscore the growing opportunities for collaboration in digitalization, intelligent systems, and green energy.
The Lao-language LLM has been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it can automatically analyze thousands of inspection images in a short time. 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 model's potential to significantly improve maintenance efficiency and reliability 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 capabilities of 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.
Talent development is another key pillar of the cooperation. 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. More information about the company's initiatives can be found at China Southern Power Grid.
To support regular international exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has also 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 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. The effort is aimed at creating new forms of China-ASEAN energy cooperation and supporting the green development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.
For leaders in business and technology, these developments signal a strategic push to integrate AI and digital tools into cross-border energy infrastructure. The deployment of language-specific LLMs and cybersecurity platforms could set a precedent for how emerging technologies facilitate international cooperation, potentially reducing operational costs and enhancing grid resilience. As China and ASEAN deepen their energy ties, companies in the power sector may find new opportunities for collaboration, talent exchange, and technology transfer, driving growth in the broader green economy.
