SOUTH-EAST ASIA (Bloomberg): Artificial intelligence could reshape the jobs of nearly 80 million people across South-East Asia, but there is little sign it has led to large-scale employment cuts, according to the International Labour Organization.
Nearly 80 million workers, or 22.9% of total employment in Asean countries, are in occupations where AI could automate or assist with at least some tasks, the ILO said in a report Wednesday. Of those, around 11.7 million workers, or 3.3% of total employment, are in occupations classified in the highest AI exposure category. About 67% of employment was concentrated in occupations with no identified exposure to AI.
Employment in jobs with the greatest potential for AI to automate or augment tasks has continued to grow since 2017, including after generative AI emerged, suggesting the technology has yet to cause widespread job disruption. Occupations with the highest AI exposure include financial analysts, multimedia developers and financial brokers, the report showed.
"The findings point to the growing labor market importance of occupations in which generative AI may increasingly reshape tasks and work processes,” the ILO said. While generative AI can boost productivity for individual tasks, these gains have not yet translated into measurable changes in productivity and employment.
The findings contrast with AI-related workforce reductions announced by companies including Sea Ltd.’s Shopee and Meta Platforms Inc. While some firms are cutting roles or reshaping their workforces as they adopt AI, employment in occupations with the highest AI exposure has continued to expand across Southeast Asia, the ILO found.
Singapore had the highest share of workers in AI-exposed occupations, accounting for 42.2% of total employment. It was followed by the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Singapore also ranked highest in AI preparedness, supported by advanced digital infrastructure, a deep talent pool and a coordinated government-wide approach, the ILO found.
The organization urged governments to strengthen AI governance and better integrate AI policies through a human-centered approach, calling such efforts critical to helping workers and businesses adapt.
"Ultimately, future labor market outcomes will depend less on exposure alone than on the policy choices to build the preparedness and resilience of workers, enterprises and institutions to adapt and navigate the AI transition,” the ILO said.
-- ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
