The AI Opportunity in Southeast Asia.
Unlocking growth, productivity, and innovation across one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Southeast Asia (SEA) is home to some of the world’s most tech-optimistic early adopters. AI is already a part of daily life for millions here and the impact is only just beginning.
In a new major project commissioned by Google, we’ve worked to explore in more depth the range of opportunities AI creates across the Asia-Pacific region – and steps Governments can take to maximise them. Today, we’re publishing the first output of the research: a summary fact sheet of some of the opportunities shared specifically across the Southeast Asia region (includes Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand).
In total, we found that AI could help power the next stage of the region’s growth, boosting the economy by at least US$270 billion. Over time that impact could grow significantly further as AI continues to transform economies.
Here are five of the most interesting things we found:
Southeast Asia already has very high AI adoption.
70% of people in SEA, and 77% of under-35s, are using gen-AI weekly at work, with a mobile-first user base that has exceeded 7 million in the past year.
Early users are seeing measurable productivity gains.
AI can save the average worker 3+ hours a week on admin, freeing up time for higher-value work and creating potential wage uplifts of 6%+.
AI builds across different areas of countries' economies.
From faster drug discovery in Singapore (40% reduction in discovery time) to smarter farming in Thailand (US$3.1 billion uplift) and increased FDI in Vietnam (US$8.4 billion), AI amplifies existing advantages.
The runway for growth is long.
SEA could unlock around US$270 billion in additional economic value as adoption deepens; usage is set to expand by another 26% over the next five years.
Inclusion and responsibility are make-or-break.
Without broader adoption, especially among older and rural users, SEA could face a 14% shortfall in potential gains. People are asking for support (47% want training) and safeguards (89% want responsible development).
