Philippines ranks second in ASEAN for GenAI job exposure — ILO

The Philippines has the second-highest share of the 80 million employees across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) whose jobs have at least minimal exposure to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), highlighting the need for more targeted policies to help workers become more prepared and resilient, according to a new study by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

In a Wednesday release, the ILO said the Philippines has a 28.1% share of workers with at least minimal exposure to GenAI, second only to Singapore at 42.2%.

The report said the country’s relatively service and information technology-oriented economy helps explain its high ranking.

Trailing the Philippines were Indonesia at 21.7%, Vietnam at 20.8%, and Thailand at 20.6%.

The 80 million exposed workers account for 22.9% of ASEAN’s total employment. Of the region’s total workforce, 3.3% were identified as belonging to the highest exposure category for GenAI, while around 67% remained in jobs with no identified exposure.

The report said highly exposed occupations have continued to record employment growth across ASEAN.

“The potential for labor market transformation is significant, but widespread disruption is not yet visible,” the report said.

“GenAI adoption remains at an early and uneven stage, with use concentrated in technology-intensive occupations and comparatively limited uptake in office and administrative roles despite their high exposure,” it also said.

The report also identified uneven “preparedness gaps” across ASEAN countries, with Singapore standing out as a globally competitive AI ecosystem due to its advanced digital infrastructure, strong talent pool, and whole-of-government approach to AI implementation.

Other findings showed that young workers aged 15 to 24 and adult workers have broadly similar levels of exposure to GenAI.

In terms of gender, women are more than twice as likely as men to work in occupations with high GenAI exposure, indicating a significant gender gap in AI exposure. The report said this reflects women’s concentration in clerical, administrative, and professional occupations.

To ensure AI innovation delivers inclusive economic benefits across ASEAN, the ILO called for human-centered AI governance.

It also urged expanding upskilling and reskilling programs, particularly for women and youth, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in overcoming barriers to AI adoption, and strengthening knowledge exchange and human resource development across ASEAN.

The study, titled “Generative AI and labor markets in ASEAN: Significant exposure, limited disruption, uneven preparedness,” examines the implications of GenAI for jobs and labor markets across the 11 ASEAN member states by assessing both occupational exposure and emerging patterns of GenAI adoption. — Edg Adrian A. Eva