42.2% of Singapore’s workforce is in occupations with more than minimal generative AI exposure, the highest share in ASEAN and far above the regional average of 22.9%, an ILO study found.
22.9% of ASEAN employment—nearly 80 million workers—is potentially exposed to GenAI, but only 3.3%, or 11.7 million jobs, falls into the highest exposure category, limiting near-term disruption.
28.1% of workers in the Philippines are exposed, followed by Indonesia at 21.7%, Vietnam at 20.8% and Thailand at 20.6%, reflecting the region’s service, IT and knowledge-intensive sectors.
67% of ASEAN jobs show no identified exposure, and the ILO said employment in exposed occupations still rose from 66 million in 2017 to 80 million in 2025, suggesting jobs are changing more than disappearing.
Five policy priorities—ranging from AI governance and labour protections to digital infrastructure and skills—will shape how ASEAN turns uneven adoption into productivity gains rather than worker dislocation.
As AI gets smarter, is today's 'job transformation' just a prelude to tomorrow's mass job displacement?
With women disproportionately affected by AI, what policies can ensure this transition doesn't worsen the gender gap?
ASEAN’s GenAI Revolution: High Workforce Exposure, Uneven Adoption, and the Race to Future-Proof Jobs
Overview
In early 2026, the ASEAN region is seeing a major wave of Generative AI (GenAI) exposure, especially among skilled workers with advanced education in professional and administrative roles. Countries like the Philippines and Viet Nam have the highest exposure among tertiary-educated workers, with similar trends in Indonesia and Thailand. This is driven by the growing use of GenAI tools for tasks such as data analysis, documentation, and reporting, particularly in economies focused on services and IT. However, while individual exposure is high, organizations across ASEAN still face challenges in adopting GenAI at scale, highlighting a gap between potential and actual implementation.