Opposition MP raises concerns over 9m-baht ‘Thailand FishAI’ app as deputy minister seeks briefing
Allegations of poor performance and questionable procurement have been raised over the “Thailand FishAI” application, after Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, a People’s Party MP, criticised the 9.1-million-baht project and called for greater transparency.
He said the AI-powered app—developed by the Department of Fisheries to help identify fish species—drew public criticism after producing a range of apparent misidentifications, including Spanish mackerel classified as short mackerel, shrimp identified as short mackerel, and even food items such as youtiao (Pa Tong Go) labelled as goldfish.
He argued the budget was unusually high for a mobile application, noting that tools such as Google Lens can perform similar functions more accurately at little or no cost.
He also questioned the app’s effectiveness, saying that despite claims of a database covering around 2,000 species, the AI system reportedly recognizes only 52. Pawoot further raised concerns about procurement practices, alleging the developer had secured more than 50 projects from the department, many through selective methods rather than open bidding, and questioned how the app passed quality control despite apparent flaws.
The Department of Fisheries has said the app is still a prototype in the research phase, acknowledging limited accuracy and inviting the public to submit images to help train the system.
Amid the controversy, Deputy Agriculture Minister Watcharaphon Khaokham said he has summoned Thitiporn Laoprasert, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, to clarify the project. Speaking at Government House, he said he would first review documentation to understand the project’s background and has not yet decided whether to establish a formal investigation.
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