BANGKOK, THAILAND / MENA Newswire / – Generative artificial intelligence could affect nearly 80 million workers across Southeast Asia, according to a new International Labour Organization report. The study says 22.9 percent of employment in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has more than minimal exposure to generative AI. The findings cover job tasks that AI tools can support, change or automate. The report also says large-scale job disruption has not appeared across the region.
The report, titled Generative AI and labour markets in ASEAN, examines occupational exposure and early adoption across the 11-member bloc. It uses 2025 employment estimates to assess how GenAI relates to existing jobs. Only 3.3 percent of the workforce, or 11.7 million people, falls into the highest exposure category. Around 67 percent of employment remains in occupations with no identified exposure to GenAI.
The study draws a line between exposure and job loss. Exposure means a worker performs tasks that GenAI can affect. It does not mean the job will disappear. The report says employment in highly exposed occupations has continued to expand across Southeast Asia. It also says adoption remains early and uneven, with use concentrated in technology-intensive roles.
AI exposure varies across ASEAN
Among the nine ASEAN countries with available data, Singapore recorded the highest exposure share. The report says 42.2 percent of Singapore’s employment has more than minimal GenAI exposure. The Philippines followed at 28.1 percent, reflecting its service and information technology base. Indonesia stood at 21.7 percent, Viet Nam at 20.8 percent and Thailand at 20.6 percent.
The report says office and administrative work shows high exposure, but adoption in those roles remains limited. Technology-intensive occupations show higher current use of GenAI tools. The findings point to an uneven preparedness gap across the region. Singapore stands out in the report for digital infrastructure, talent availability and a coordinated national approach to AI use.
Women face higher job exposure
The report found a clear gender gap in the most exposed occupations. Women are more than twice as likely as men to work in jobs with high GenAI exposure. The study links this pattern to women’s concentration in clerical, administrative and professional roles. It also found that workers aged 15 to 24 show broadly similar exposure levels to adults.
The report lists several policy priorities for managing GenAI in labour markets. They include human-centred governance, wider upskilling and reskilling, and stronger support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. It also calls for attention to women and young workers in training programs. The report says social protection and regional knowledge exchange form part of worker preparedness.
For Southeast Asia, the findings frame GenAI as a labour market issue tied to skills, institutions and access. The report says productivity gains depend on human capital and social protection, not technology alone. It presents exposure as a measure of where work can change. It also shows that most ASEAN employment remains outside identified GenAI exposure categories.