DBS becomes first SGX stock to exceed $200 billion market capitalisation; Singapore leads AI readiness despite higher work exposure as 80 million ASEAN jobs face change: Singapore live news
Singapore has the region’s highest AI job exposure and preparedness as the ILO says generative AI is changing work rather than eliminating jobs. (Photo: Getty Images)
Generative artificial intelligence could reshape the jobs of nearly 80 million workers across ASEAN, but there is little evidence that it has triggered large-scale job losses, according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Singapore stands at the centre of the transition, recording the region’s highest share of AI-exposed jobs at 42.2 per cent of total employment while also ranking first in AI preparedness because of its advanced digital infrastructure, skilled workforce and whole-of-government strategy.
According to the ILO, 22.9 per cent of ASEAN’s workforce – equivalent to nearly 80 million workers – is employed in occupations where generative AI could automate or augment at least some tasks. However, only 3.3 per cent, or 11.7 million workers, are in occupations with the highest AI exposure, while about 67 per cent of jobs across the region show no identifiable AI exposure. Employment in highly exposed occupations has continued to grow since 2017, indicating AI is transforming work more than replacing workers, according to reports citing the ILO study,
The ILO report identifies financial analysts, multimedia developers and financial brokers among the occupations most exposed to AI-driven change. Although companies including Sea’s Shopee and Meta have announced AI-related workforce reductions, the ILO found no evidence that these isolated cases have resulted in widespread labour market disruption across Southeast Asia.
The ILO said generative AI can improve productivity in individual tasks, but those gains have yet to translate into measurable increases in employment or economy-wide productivity. Lead author Christian Viegelahn said productivity gains will depend on investments in human capital and social protection, adding that future labour market outcomes will be shaped more by policy choices than by AI exposure alone.
The report also highlights uneven AI readiness across ASEAN. While Singapore leads the region, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand follow in workforce exposure, and women remain more than twice as likely as men to work in occupations with high AI exposure because of their concentration in clerical, administrative and professional roles.
The ILO called on governments to strengthen human-centred AI governance, expand upskilling and reskilling programmes, support small businesses adopting AI and deepen regional cooperation. As AI adoption accelerates, the organisation says the key question is no longer whether work will change, but how effectively governments, businesses and workers prepare for the transition.
