Nearly 1 in 4 Southeast Asian workers face AI disruption, says ILO

The long-feared robotic takeover of factory floors has not yet arrived in Southeast Asia. Instead, the region’s office workers are the ones who should prepare for change. Nearly one in four employees in the region will see their jobs disrupted or altered by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), according to a July report from the International Labour Organization (ILO). GenAI refers to computer systems that can create text, images, or other content based on prompts. The report found that clerical, administrative, and professional roles face the highest risk. In contrast, manual trades, craft work, and agricultural jobs remain largely unaffected by this wave of technology.