'AI Could Reshape 80 Million Southeast Asia Jobs, ILO Says'

 Artificial intelligence could reshape the jobs of nearly 80 million workers across Southeast Asia, but the International Labour Organization found little evidence that the technology has caused widespread employment cuts. According to the ILO's Wednesday report, around 22.9% of total employment across Asean countries is concentrated in occupations where AI could automate or assist with at least some tasks. About 11.7 million workers, representing 3.3% of total employment, are employed in occupations with the highest level of AI exposure, while roughly 67% of workers remain in jobs with no identified exposure to the technology.

The ILO observed that employment in the occupations most exposed to AI has continued to grow since 2017, including after the emergence of generative AI. Financial analysts, multimedia developers and financial brokers were among the occupations identified as having the greatest potential for AI to automate or augment tasks. The organization noted that generative AI could improve productivity in individual activities, but these gains have not yet produced measurable changes in broader productivity or employment. For investors, the findings suggest that AI adoption across Southeast Asia may initially reshape job responsibilities and business processes rather than immediately result in large-scale workforce reductions.

The report contrasts with AI-related workforce reductions announced by Sea Ltd.'s (NYSE:SE) Shopee and Meta Platforms (META), although employment in the region's most AI-exposed occupations has continued to expand. Singapore had the highest proportion of workers in AI-exposed occupations at 42.2%, followed by the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, and it also ranked highest in AI preparedness because of its digital infrastructure, talent pool and coordinated government approach. The ILO urged governments to strengthen AI governance and adopt a human-centered policy framework, arguing that future labor-market outcomes may depend more on the preparedness of workers, businesses and institutions than on AI exposure alone.

https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/ai-could-reshape-80-million-195224581.html