Papua New Guinea is entering one of its most transformative technological periods — a rapid shift toward digital services, mobile connectivity and automated systems. But as the country embraces new platforms and global tech providers, cyber security experts warn that PNG’s defences are not keeping pace.
Cyber security specialist Robertson Asari says the rush toward modernisation has created a widening gap between technological adoption and the country’s ability to protect itself.
“With development comes risk. As we build more capability, we expose ourselves to more vulnerabilities.”
PNG is now heavily dependent on digital infrastructure — from financial systems and government platforms to industry operations. But this dependency arrives at a time when cyber threats are evolving daily and when advanced tools, including artificial intelligence, are giving attackers unprecedented power.
The AI wave arrives before the policy is ready
Artificial intelligence has already begun shaping health, policing, finance and political communication around the world. In larger markets, the arrival of deepfakes, misinformation and automated content has triggered a scramble for regulation.
But PNG’s policy and legal frameworks remain underdeveloped for this new reality.
Asari says the core issue is the speed of AI’s evolution.
“AI is moving exponentially. What took decades in previous technological eras has taken just five years with AI,” he says. “And the world is still not ready. PNG is certainly not ready.”
Instead of trying to regulate AI directly — something even wealthier countries are struggling with — he argues that PNG must focus on the fundamentals: privacy, data protection, intellectual property, and public safety.
Foreign tech giants bring opportunity — and risk
PNG’s digital landscape is increasingly shaped by external players. Companies like Starlink and Huawei are transforming connectivity in developing countries, and PNG is no exception.
Asari says their presence is not inherently negative. In fact, it’s often essential.
“Foreign companies elevate us to global standards. They bring infrastructure and expertise we don’t yet have.”
But these technologies were designed in environments with strong guardrails — privacy laws, cyber security frameworks and data sovereignty protections. PNG does not yet have equivalent systems.
The risk, he says, is that PNG becomes a user of powerful technologies without the ability to regulate or manage them effectively.
A fast-moving technology that outpaces traditional policy
One of the biggest challenges for smaller countries like PNG is that policy is slow and technology is fast.
Even if PNG were to draft a comprehensive AI strategy today, the technology could shift dramatically in a year.
Asari says this is a global problem — and it demands a new mindset.
“AI is now intrinsic to society. It affects everything. And that makes it unpredictable.”
He believes the only viable approach is a “risk-first” strategy, where policymakers focus on safeguarding people from harm — privacy breaches, unethical use, loss of intellectual property — rather than trying to predict what AI will look like in five years.
Global pressures: workforce disruption and social manipulation
Around the world, AI is automating factories, reshaping health care and altering labour markets. PNG may not feel these pressures yet, but Asari says the shift is coming.
He also warns of another global concern: algorithmic manipulation.
AI-driven platforms learn from user behaviour and shape what people see online. In the wrong hands, these systems can influence opinions or spread misinformation.
“It’s already a major international concern. It hasn’t reached PNG in a big way yet, but it will.”
With phones embedded in daily life and AI increasingly integrated into homes and workplaces, Asari says the relationship between humans and technology is changing.
“Technology has become intrinsic. People, processes and digital systems are now inseparable.”
His greatest worry is the emotional attachment forming between young people and digital platforms — and AI’s growing ability to recognise and exploit emotional patterns on a global scale.
“If technology and humans form an emotional connection, the implications for the next decade are huge,” he says.
PNG stands at a turning point: digital transformation is now inevitable, but the systems that protect citizens and institutions remain underdeveloped.
Experts like Asari argue that the country must build its foundations now — before the next wave of technology makes that job even harder.
PNG’s future, they say, depends not just on adopting new tools, but on ensuring the nation has the laws, skills and governance to use them safely.
