ILO Brief: Nearly 80 Million ASEAN Workers Face Some GenAI Exposure, but Employment in Exposed Jobs Continues to Grow

The International Labour Organization released a policy brief on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, showing that nearly 80 million workers in ASEAN countries have some degree of potential exposure to generative AI, Rappler reported. Only 3.3% of employment across nine ASEAN countries with available data is concentrated in occupations with the highest levels of exposure.

Singapore recorded the highest share of workers with more than minimal exposure at 42.2% of total employment.

The Philippines followed at 28.1%, Indonesia at 21.7%, Vietnam at 20.8% and Thailand at 20.6%. In Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, wage workers with significant exposure earned more than those with minimal or no exposure. Across ASEAN, 4.8% of women were employed in occupations with high exposure in 2025, compared with 2.3% of men.

The gap was most pronounced in Thailand and the Philippines, where women were around three to four times more likely than men to work in such occupations. Employment in highly exposed occupations has continued to expand, with no evidence so far of large-scale job losses.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia and Vietnam have established many foundations for AI adoption but face gaps in advanced skills, research capacity, computing infrastructure, innovation ecosystems and access to finance.

The brief recommended strengthening AI governance through a human-centered approach that includes ministries for employment, labor and social protection. It also called for gender-responsive social dialogue mechanisms, inclusive labor market and education policies with particular attention to women, support for AI adoption among micro, small and medium enterprises, greater investment in digital infrastructure and skills, and stronger regional cooperation among ASEAN countries.