Artificial intelligence is transforming the nature of work across the globe — and ASEAN is no exception. With over half of the region’s workforce expected to experience significant changes in their roles by 2030, leaders face a defining question: will AI deepen inequality, or will it unlock more inclusive growth?
This was the focus of a recent AI Asia Pacific Institute (AIAPI) roundtable, co-hosted with LinkedIn, which brought together key regional and international stakeholders. The conversation featured representatives from the the ASEAN Secretariat, and the ASEAN Digital Economy Division, Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Lowy Institute, The Asia Foundation, the United Nations, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippines, Korika (Indonesia’s AI consortium), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), International IDEA, the Asia Centre, the Center for Digital Future (CDF), among others.
This diverse participation underscored AIAPI’s unique role in convening government, industry, academia, and development partners to tackle one of the region’s most urgent policy challenges.
Setting the stage
Opening the roundtable, Kelly Forbes, Executive Director of AIAPI, stressed the stakes of the moment:
The future of work in ASEAN must be inclusive, or it will not be sustainable. Across our region, AI brings tremendous potential to create new opportunities, but without decisive action, it also risks leaving behind women, youth, migrants, informal workers, and MSMEs. Our mission is to ensure that AI adoption drives opportunity, not exclusion.
Her call set the tone for a discussion centered on both the promise of AI and the responsibility to safeguard inclusion.
The AI Asia Pacific Paper on AI and the Workforce Transformation
In his presentation on the AIAPI paper on AI and Workforce Transformation in ASEAN, Peter Brimble, Board Chair and Vice President at AIAPI, highlighted how generative AI is already reshaping jobs and skills, with over half of ASEAN’s workforce expected to be affected. He outlined both the risks — from vulnerable sectors and widening inclusion gaps — and the opportunities, including up to an 18% boost in GDP if adoption is inclusive. He stressed urgent next steps: digital infrastructure, worker protections, and MSME support now; education and reskilling in the medium term; and long-term reforms with strong regional cooperation. He concluded:
The window is narrow — ASEAN must act boldly and together to turn disruption into inclusive growth.
Skills are shifting faster than ever
LinkedIn data shows that the skills needed for any given job across Southeast Asian countries have changed by as much as 40% since 2016,” said Trisha Suresh, Public Policy Director at LinkedIn. “With the adoption of generative AI, the pace of change will accelerate, with skills changing by as much as 72% by 2030 compared to 2016.”
This pace of transformation is unprecedented. The discussion underscored the need for governments and employers to rethink talent strategies — moving from traditional qualifications and job titles toward skills-based hiring and training.
Education: the cornerstone of resilience
Without robust education and training systems, ASEAN risks deepening existing divides, leaving millions of workers unprepared for the rapid changes AI will bring.
As Wendy Bonython reminded participants: Education systems must not only embed digital and technical literacy, but also foster the human-centric skills — critical thinking, communication, and judgment — that allow people to work effectively alongside AI.
An economic opportunity — if ASEAN acts together
AI could bring ASEAN a 10–18 percent boost in GDP by 2030 if adopted inclusively,” stressed Bill Cole, AI policy specialist and AIAPI board member. “But fragmented or delayed responses risk squandering these opportunities and deepening inequality.”
Participants agreed that this moment demands bold, regionally coordinated action. Proposals included:
- An ASEAN AI Workforce Framework and standardized skills certification.
- A regional network of AI Excellence Centers to share expertise and best practices.
- A Digital Transformation Fund to support MSMEs and underserved communities.
- And finally, to build on AIAPI’s ongoing recommendation of a Technical AI Facility.
Participant Discussion
The frank and open discussion during the webinar highlighted the need to consider the entire AI value chain, from infrastructure and data to models and applications. While some countries may struggle to develop foundation models, they can focus on building applications using existing ones. Inclusive policymaking is essential, with broad stakeholder and public engagement to address AI’s far-reaching impact. Concerns were raised about standardized AI skill certification potentially excluding talent from less-resourced ASEAN countries, and the barriers MSMEs face in adopting AI due to affordability, literacy, and connectivity gaps. Participants also stressed the need for more granular indicators of job displacement, beyond broad categories, and emphasized that in fragile and disadvantaged economies, effective use of AI requires institutional and systemic support, along with tailored approaches that reflect country-specific contexts.
Shaping an inclusive future of work
AI’s impact will not be uniform. Some jobs will be disrupted, others augmented, and some insulated. The challenge is to prepare workers not just for the jobs that may vanish, but for the new ones that will emerge. As the AIAPI–LinkedIn Workforce Transformation paper makes clear, the choices ASEAN makes in the next two to three years will determine whether AI becomes a driver of resilience and shared prosperity, or a source of division and inequality.
As Kelly Forbes concluded in her opening remarks:
This roundtable is not only about sharing findings — it is about shaping action. If we act decisively and collectively, AI can become a catalyst for shared prosperity, lifting growth, narrowing divides, and helping ASEAN deliver on its sustainable development goals.”
At AIAPI, we believe the answer lies in inclusive, forward-looking policies that put skills, equity, and regional cooperation at the heart of AI governance. The future of work in ASEAN must be inclusive — or it will not be sustainable. The open and frank discussions in this webinar will greatly assist in guiding the critical next steps in ASEAN.
