AI Jobs Shake-Up: 1 in 4 Southeast Asian Office Workers Face Disruption as U.S. Hiring Stays Strong

A July report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that clerical, administrative, and professional roles in Southeast Asia face the highest risk from generative AI (GenAI), which refers to computer systems that can create text, images, or other content based on prompts [1]. Manual trades, craft work, and agricultural jobs remain largely unaffected by this technology wave [1].

The findings come as workers worldwide grapple with AI’s growing presence in the workplace. In Hong Kong, more than 70 per cent of working professionals use AI tools on a daily or weekly basis—more than double the global average, according to a survey by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) [2]. The study, which polled 3,722 working professionals, found that junior staff are more likely to worry about losing their jobs to the technology, even as they rely on AI tools for routine tasks [2].

Despite these fears, U.S. employment data shows steady job growth since the first AI chatbots hit the market in late 2022 [3]. Unemployment remains low, and overall hiring has not collapsed [3]. Experts say AI is still mostly a tool that helps workers do their jobs faster, not a replacement for them [3].

However, some companies are already using AI to handle routine coding, customer support, and data entry—work that once served as the first rung on the career ladder [4]. Industry leaders warn this could create a deeper economic problem: if companies stop hiring junior workers because AI can do their work, fewer people will earn wages and build skills, shrinking consumer demand over time [4].

Workers are already feeling the shift. Many Americans are reinventing their careers, pivoting to new industries after layoffs tied to AI adoption [5]. One product designer in San Jose, laid off last fall, now spends up to 15 hours a week experimenting with AI tools to stay competitive [5].

Not all AI adoption is about cutting jobs. Nissan is using AI-powered cameras at its factory in Canton, Mississippi, to monitor how workers move and reduce injuries [6]. The system has contributed to about $34 million in health and safety-related savings at the plant [6]. “We’re not talking about job elimination,” said Victor Taylor, Nissan’s divisional vice president of manufacturing for the Americas [6].

Some lawmakers are pushing for government intervention. Senator Bernie Sanders and other Democrats are proposing new laws that would require companies to give notice before using AI to replace staff, along with retraining programs for workers who lose jobs to automation [3]. Republicans and business groups oppose these plans, saying new rules will slow innovation and hurt the economy [3].

The debate is not about whether AI will change work—it already has. The real question is whether the government should step in before the change becomes a crisis, or wait until the numbers force it [3].

Nearly 1 in 4 Southeast Asian workers face AI disruption, says ILO Hong Kong workers lead the world in AI adoption—and fear its cost. U.S. jobs grow despite AI boom, but Democrats want new rules AI’s Real Threat: It Could Kill Entry-Level Jobs AI and layoffs are forcing Americans to completely reinvent their careers