Dr. Jayarethanam Pillai

Jayarethanam Pillai is the founder of Praxora Lab. He works as an AI economist, currently serving as UNDP AI and Policy Foresight Consultant across Asia and as Global Professor of Practice at Golden Gate University. His practice sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, economic policy and institutional strategy, including technology impact assessment work conducted with the Social Cyber Institute on AI's role in peace and stability.

He founded Futures Consultancy Group in 2011, offering strategic business and economic advisory to small and medium enterprises, and later led data science consulting at Aboitiz Data Innovation across financial services and entrepreneurship functions. His academic career spans Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Guam, Dean of the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Administration at the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at Narxoz Business School in Kazakhstan, and a visiting professorship in strategic management at Texas Christian University.

His public commentary applies economic analysis to AI and trade policy: the durable effects of tariffs on global supply chains and currency, and how strategic foresight should inform AI governance as autonomous systems take on more decision-making. He has spoken at international forums including a UNDP-organised knowledge-sharing session with Mongolian government officials on AI for national development, alongside an invited keynote at the accompanying Data and AI conference in Ulaanbaatar.