Asia Seeks a Fairer Future for Workers as AI Reshapes Employment

Almost 80 million workers in South-East Asia hold jobs with potential exposure to generative AI, showing why the technology has quickly become a major regional policy issue.

Artificial intelligence is changing how people find jobs, learn new skills and carry out daily tasks, creating fresh opportunities while raising serious questions about workers who may struggle to keep pace. Governments, employers and workers' organizations from South-East Asia and China have called for inclusive policies, stronger social dialogue and practical support for people at risk of being left behind.

These priorities emerged during the Regional Policy Dialogue 2026: Harnessing AI to Build Employment-Friendly Labour Markets in ASEAN and China, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 26 to 27 August. Participants shared ideas on the responsible use of AI in public employment services and skills-development systems, while examining how countries can introduce new technology without weakening job quality, equality or workers' rights.

AI can process labour market information, recommend training and connect jobseekers with vacancies, yet technology cannot fully understand a person's circumstances, workplace needs or ambitions. Human oversight and meaningful discussions between governments, employers and workers will remain essential when policies affect people's incomes and careers.

Millions of workers may feel the effects of generative AI

Almost 80 million workers in South-East Asia hold jobs with potential exposure to generative AI, showing why the technology has quickly become a major regional policy issue. Exposure does not necessarily mean that every job will disappear, since AI may change certain tasks while creating new responsibilities and occupations. The impact will differ between industries, countries, income groups and individual workers.

Participants called for stronger reskilling and upskilling programmes that can help people adjust to changing workplace demands before they lose employment or fall behind. Training needs to be affordable, accessible and connected to genuine opportunities, particularly for workers in vulnerable occupations, young people entering the labour market and adults who may have limited experience with digital technology.

Workers without reliable internet connections, suitable devices or basic digital skills may be unable to access AI-supported employment services and training. Policies designed without these inequalities in mind could deepen existing gaps between urban and rural areas, large businesses and small enterprises, or highly educated workers and those with fewer qualifications.

Regional cooperation can turn shared challenges into practical action

The dialogue used South-South knowledge sharing to examine policy innovations for ethical and safe AI adoption across ASEAN and China. The event was co-organized by the International Labour Organization and China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security through an ILO project promoting the Global Development Initiative, with a focus on employment cooperation among countries in the region.

Chinese Vice Minister Wu Xiuzhang expressed China's readiness to strengthen international cooperation on AI, including closer coordination on development strategies, governance frameworks and technical standards. He also highlighted the potential for AI to support labour policy and contribute to the wider goal of decent work for all.

Tuomo Poutiainen, Deputy Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, noted that ASEAN and China are already experiencing rapid digitalization alongside demographic shifts, climate transitions and changing patterns of globalization. The key question is no longer whether AI will transform employment, he said, but how countries can shape that transformation so it supports inclusion and decent work.

The Bangkok discussions showed that AI's effect on working life will depend heavily on the choices made today. Investment in skills, equal digital access, responsible governance and genuine worker participation can help turn technological change into broader opportunity rather than another source of inequality.