ASEAN unveils digital outlook, AI readiness research

The ASEAN Foundation, with support from Google.org, launched the ASEAN Digital Outlook and unveiled initial findings from the AI Ready ASEAN Research on February 10 at the AI Ready ASEAN: 3rd Regional Policy Convening in Manila, the Philippines. Developed with the ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting, the reports outline regional digital governance priorities, infrastructure progress, and institutional preparedness, building on the AI Ready ASEAN programme, which has reached more than 5 million beneficiaries, trained over 100,000 learners in AI, and supported more than 3,000 master trainers across the region.

The findings come as digitalisation and AI reshape ASEAN economies, education systems, and public services at unprecedented speed. With a population exceeding 660 million people, nearly one-third of whom are under the age of 20, the region’s ability to adopt AI responsibly will play a decisive role in shaping future skills development, employment opportunities, and social inclusion.

At the same time, ASEAN’s digital economy is projected to grow from $300 billion to $1 trillion by 2030, creating immense potential alongside increasingly complex risks. As AI adoption accelerates across sectors, the need for inclusive, responsible, and well-governed AI use has become an urgent priority for governments, institutions, and communities across the region. The two studies respond directly to this urgency by shifting the focus beyond access and adoption towards a clearer understanding of readiness, governance, and long-term impact.

“Across ASEAN, we are seeing AI use grow faster than our systems’ ability to guide it,” said Piti Srisangnam, executive director of the ASEAN Foundation. “These studies move the conversation beyond whether AI is being used to whether our institutions, educators, and communities are truly prepared. Evidence like this is essential to designing policies that protect trust, strengthen skills, and ensure AI benefits people, not just economies.”

The ASEAN Digital Outlook provides a broader regional assessment of digital and AI infrastructure, governance, and cybersecurity readiness across ASEAN Member States. While several countries have made progress in strengthening digital infrastructure, the study points to uneven levels of digital maturity and institutional capacity across the region. Persistent gaps in digital skills, public trust, cybersecurity preparedness, and responsible technology use underscore the limitations of fragmented national approaches.

Meanwhile, the AI Ready ASEAN Research assesses AI readiness across 10 ASEAN Member States, focusing on education communities and examining students, educators, and parents as key actors shaping how AI is adopted, understood, and governed. The findings reveal a consistent gap between high levels of AI usage and actual readiness, particularly in AI literacy, ethical understanding, and institutional support. While students often emerge as early adopters of AI tools, educators and parents face greater barriers related to confidence, guidance, and access to structured training.

Based on the findings, generative AI usage in Vietnam is widespread, reported by almost 90 per cent of students and around 82 per cent of educators. While nearly two-thirds of educators have completed AI-related courses, only about one-quarter of students have received formal training. Despite high confidence levels, assessments reveal gaps in foundational AI understanding, indicating that adoption is outpacing readiness.

Taken together, the findings from both studies show that across ASEAN, AI and digital adoption is advancing faster than institutional, ethical, and community readiness. Students are the most active users of AI tools, while educators and parents report lower confidence and literacy. At the same time, growing risks, including online scams, deepfake-enabled fraud, misinformation, and data breaches, are undermining trust in digital systems and reinforcing the need for stronger governance frameworks.

“Access to AI tools alone is not enough,” said Marija Ralic, head of Google.org Asia-Pacific. “Real readiness requires people to understand how AI works, where its limits lie, and how it can be used ethically. These findings reinforce why investments in AI literacy, especially for educators and communities, are critical to ensuring that technological progress translates into inclusive opportunity.”

Through the launch of the AI Ready ASEAN Research and the ASEAN Digital Outlook, ASEAN Foundation contributes data-driven insights to support informed policy dialogue on digital and AI transformation across the region. The studies are intended to serve as key references for policymakers, educators, and development partners in designing interventions that strengthen digital literacy, institutional readiness, and inclusive growth.

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