ILO: AI Could Reshape 80M Jobs in Southeast Asia, Singapore Leads in Exposure
Source: Bloomberg / The Straits Times
Artificial intelligence could reshape the working lives of nearly 80 million people across Southeast Asia, but there is little evidence of large-scale job losses so far, according to a new ILO report. Singapore leads the region with 42.2% of workers in AI-exposed occupations and ranks highest in AI preparedness.
Artificial intelligence could reshape the working lives of nearly 80 million people across Southeast Asia, but there is little evidence it has caused large-scale job losses so far, according to a new report from the International Labour Organisation. Singapore has the highest share of AI-exposed workers in the region at 42.2% of total employment, and also ranks first in AI preparedness.
The ILO report, published on July 8, analysed employment patterns across ASEAN economies and found that 22.9% of all workers — nearly 80 million people — are in occupations where AI could automate or assist with at least some tasks. Of those, 11.7 million workers or 3.3% of total employment are in the highest AI exposure category, including financial analysts, multimedia developers, and financial brokers. Crucially, employment in these high-exposure roles has continued to grow since 2017, including after generative AI emerged, suggesting the feared wave of mass displacement has not materialised.
Singapore stands out sharply from its regional peers. The city-state's 42.2% AI-exposure share is significantly higher than the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand — a reflection of its services-heavy economy and deep concentration of professional and knowledge-worker roles. Singapore also ranked highest in AI preparedness, supported by advanced digital infrastructure, a deep talent pool, and a coordinated government-wide approach that the ILO highlighted as a regional benchmark.
The findings contrast with headline-grabbing AI-related layoffs at companies including Shopee and Meta. The ILO noted that while some firms are cutting roles as they adopt AI, aggregate employment in high-exposure occupations continues expanding across the region. About 67% of ASEAN employment remains in occupations with no identified AI exposure at all. The organisation urged governments to strengthen AI governance through a human-centred approach, calling policy choices — not exposure levels alone — the decisive factor in future labour market outcomes.
Why it matters for Singapore: The ILO data reinforces a complex reality for Singapore's workforce: the city-state is simultaneously the most AI-exposed and the best-prepared market in Southeast Asia. That twin distinction means the quality of policy implementation over the next 3-5 years — reskilling frameworks, income support during transitions, and AI governance — will determine whether Singapore's AI leadership translates into broad-based prosperity or widens the gap between workers who can adapt and those who cannot. The ILO's message that exposure alone does not determine outcomes is a timely reminder that Singapore's policy choices, not its technological adoption rate, will define the AI transition for its people.