ILO Says AI Will Affect 80 Million ASEAN Workers

The ILO estimates that 22.9 percent of total employment, representing nearly 80 million workers, is in occupations with more than minimal exposure to generative AI.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is expected to reshape the working lives of nearly 80 million people across Southeast Asia, though there is little evidence so far that the technology is causing widespread job losses, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The report, "Generative AI and Labour Markets in ASEAN: Significant Exposure, Limited Disruption, Uneven Preparedness," examines how generative AI could affect employment across the 11 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The ILO estimates that 22.9 percent of total employment, representing nearly 80 million workers, is in occupations with more than minimal exposure to generative AI. Even so, only 3.3 percent of the workforce, or about 11.7 million people, work in occupations facing the highest level of exposure. Around 67 percent of workers remain employed in jobs that currently show no meaningful exposure to GenAI.

The study also notes that employment in highly exposed occupations continues to grow across the region, suggesting that AI is changing the nature of work rather than replacing jobs on a large scale. Adoption remains uneven, with the technology mainly being used in technology-intensive industries while office and administrative sectors, despite having higher exposure, have been slower to adopt AI tools.

Singapore leads the region in AI readiness

Among the nine ASEAN countries with available data, Singapore has the highest share of workers in occupations exposed to GenAI, with 42.2 percent of employment falling into this category. It is followed by the Philippines at 28.1 percent, reflecting its large business services and information technology sectors. Other countries with notable levels of exposure include Indonesia (21.7 percent), Viet Nam (20.8 percent) and Thailand (20.6 percent).

The report highlights a significant preparedness gap across the region. Singapore stands out for its advanced digital infrastructure, strong pool of skilled workers and coordinated national strategy for AI adoption, placing it among the world's leading AI ecosystems.

Women face greater AI exposure than men

The ILO found that women are more than twice as likely as men to work in occupations with high exposure to generative AI because they are more heavily represented in clerical, administrative and professional roles where AI tools are increasingly being introduced. Young workers aged 15 to 24 showed levels of AI exposure similar to those of the broader adult workforce, suggesting that technological change is likely to influence employees across multiple age groups rather than affecting only new entrants to the labour market.

To ensure AI delivers broad economic benefits, the report recommends policies centred on people rather than technology alone. These include expanding skills training and reskilling programmes, particularly for women and young people, helping micro, small and medium-sized enterprises adopt AI technologies, strengthening social protection systems and improving cooperation among ASEAN member states on workforce development. Lead author and ILO economist Christian Viegelahn said productivity gains from AI will depend not only on access to technology but also on investments in human capital, stronger institutions and policies that prepare workers and businesses for a changing labour market.