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View all search resultsASEAN’s 2045 Vision, powered by technology transformation
The regional bloc is applying its inclusive, collaborative and people-centered approach to harness the growing power and reach of AI to ensure that the technology is wielded as an equalizing, unifying force for better lives across Southeast Asia.
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Two people take a selfie in front of a sign in Kuala Lumpur for the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits on Oct. 24, 2025, two days before the opening of the three-day event, hosted by the bloc’s Malaysian chairmanship. (Reuters/Chalinee Thirasupa)
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hen ASEAN leaders adopted ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future in May, they presented a clear and ambitious road map for a region defined by peace, prosperity and partnership. It is a vision of an ASEAN that is not only cohesive and resilient but also forward-looking; one that thrives in a rapidly transforming world. Achieving this vision will depend not only on our unity but also how effectively we harness the defining forces of our time: Foremost among them is artificial intelligence (AI), which forms a vital pillar of digital transformation.
AI is no longer a distant promise. Across Southeast Asia, we are already witnessing its impact in tangible and meaningful ways.
In Cambodia, the agriculture sector is embracing AI to support evidence-based decision-making aimed at enhancing productivity and achieving climate resilience. In Malaysia, students are learning with AI-powered tutors that adapt to their individual needs. In Indonesia, smallholder farmers consult AI chatbots that provide real-time crop advice, boosting yields and improving livelihoods. In Thailand, doctors are using AI to detect diabetic retinopathy in remote areas where specialists are limited. In Vietnam, AI-driven flood forecasting systems now predict disasters up to a week in advance, giving communities precious time to prepare and protect lives.
Around the world, nations are racing to define the rules and reap the rewards of AI. The United States, China and the European Union are investing billions and setting global standards. ASEAN, too, has no time to lose, and its approach must be uniquely Southeast Asian: inclusive, collaborative and people-centered.
The economic potential is equally transformative. Recent research projects that AI could add US$270 billion to Southeast Asia's economy, driving innovation and productivity while helping the region move further up the global value chain.
Yet these gains will not materialize automatically. The real question is not whether AI will reshape ASEAN but how it will do so, and for whom. For ASEAN, the opportunity is to turn technology from a disruptor into an equalizer, ensuring that every community, from urban innovators to rural entrepreneurs, shares in the benefits.
This is precisely why ASEAN is committed to ensuring that digital transformation remains inclusive, ethical and human-centered. The region's approach is anchored in three imperatives: building enabling infrastructure, developing an AI-ready workforce and promoting responsible and inclusive AI governance.
