AI creator blending Cambodian heritage with technology

Asia News Network

a day ago

June 25, 2025
PHNOM PENH – In an age of rapid technological advancements, one Cambodian youth is taking bold steps to bridge the gap between artificial intelligence (AI) and the Kingdom's rich culture.
Rath Chan Ponleu, a digital content creator, has emerged as a driving force behind the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Cambodian culture and education.
His videos, created by AI is a reflection of the young creator's passion for preserving the rich customs, traditions and language of Cambodia, while exploring the potential of modern technology.
The young creator, who posts to the 'Ty Ronex' Facebook page, shares short clips of his content, as well as tips and tricks for others to try.
In one of his captivating AI-generated videos, the protagonist, a Cambodian woman, navigates a mysterious house.
With traditional Cambodian beauty and charm, she confronts a series of strange occurrences. A conversation with a man she meets inside the house only adds to the suspense, as she seeks to uncover the truth behind the house's enigmatic nature.
The core message of the video, though set against a backdrop of mystery, highlights the importance of Cambodian identity.
The young creator's purpose is clear — to train AI to understand and represent Cambodian culture, language and traditions.
By using AI technology, the creator hopes to bring Cambodian heritage to a global audience, showcasing the beauty of the Khmer language and the stories that have shaped Cambodia for centuries.
In his efforts to train AI systems to understand and promote the Kingdom's unique culture, Ponleu is not only exploring the future of AI but also shaping how the next generation of Cambodians can engage with this transformative technology.
For Ponleu, the journey into AI began with a deep curiosity about how this powerful tool could be harnessed to advance understanding and preserve cultural identity.
'I want to know how good AI is and what it will be like in the future. The more data we train it with, the better it gets. Right now, my most popular video features Google's Veo 3 technology,' he explained.
Through his creative videos and educational content, Ponleu is helping others understand how to utilise AI technology in practical and impactful ways.
AI's power, according to Ponleu, lies in the careful crafting of prompts.
'AI requires a strong understanding of English sentence structure and the key elements of prompts — subject, object and key words,' he said.
'The better we understand how to design prompts, the more professional the results will be. For example, if we use basic words, the AI's output will be simpler. But when we structure the prompts carefully, like including specific lighting details, the results can be truly professional,' he added.
One of the biggest challenges Ponleu faces is overcoming AI's difficulty in recognising Cambodian culture and its distinct characteristics.
He noted that AI systems often confuse Cambodian cultural elements with those of neighboring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam or Laos.
'The AI still has a hard time distinguishing the faces, clothing, and traditions of Cambodia from other Southeast Asian nations,' he told The Post.
His advice to fellow Cambodians is to include specific details in AI prompts, such as references to Cambodian culture, clothing and ethnicity, to help the system improve its recognition of the unique Cambodian identity.
Ponleu's insight into AI's cultural understanding is particularly crucial when it comes to creating accurate representations of Cambodia's ancient and modern heritage.
'For instance, when I asked AI to generate a video of 'ancient women in traditional clothing near Angkor Wat', the results were not what I had hoped for,' he said.
'The AI often confused the traditional Cambodian style with that of neighbouring countries.' However, with further adjustments — adding details like skin tone and specific clothing styles from the appropriate era — Ponleu has been able to improve the results.
The challenge of getting AI to recognize facial features and profiles also persists, but through techniques like locking a 'seed' to maintain consistency, he is able to manipulate the video content for more accurate depictions.
Ponleu remains optimistic about AI's potential to revolutionise the way Cambodians create and consume content.
AI's versatility can simplify many tasks, he explained, especially for those who are camera-shy or lack professional skills.
'For example, employees who are afraid of being on camera can still create videos by using AI to generate actions based on their facial features and body shape,' he noted.
This technology also has the potential to save time and costs by eliminating the need for travel and on-location shooting.
However, Ponleu acknowledges that AI's understanding of current events and locations is still limited.
'AI often uses outdated images, like older pictures of Angkor Wat, instead of capturing the latest scenes,' he said.
He believes that the full potential of AI will be realised when companies collaborate with the Cambodian government and local organisations to ensure the technology reflects real-time developments and accurately captures Cambodia's rich heritage.