New reports highlight uneven digital maturity and widening gaps between AI readiness, use, and institutional preparedness across ASEAN
The ASEAN Foundation, with support from Google.org, has launched two major regional studies examining Southeast Asia’s digital and artificial intelligence (AI) readiness: the ASEAN Digital Outlook and the first look at the AI Ready ASEAN Research. The reports were unveiled during the AI Ready ASEAN: 3rd Regional Policy Convening held in Manila.
Developed in collaboration with the ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADGSOM), the ASEAN Digital Outlook provides a regional assessment of digital infrastructure, governance frameworks, and institutional preparedness across ASEAN Member States.
It aligns with ASEAN’s digital governance priorities and offers a snapshot of how countries are progressing toward digital maturity amid accelerating technological change.
The launch builds on the momentum of the AI Ready ASEAN programme, which has already reached over 5 million beneficiaries through AI literacy initiatives, enabled more than 100,000 learners to complete in-depth AI training, and trained over 3,000 Master Trainers across the region.
These efforts come as ASEAN faces rapid digital transformation. With a population exceeding 660 million, nearly one-third of whom are under the age of 20, the region’s approach to AI adoption is expected to shape future skills development, employment, and social inclusion. At the same time, ASEAN’s digital economy is projected to grow from USD 300 billion to USD 1 trillion by 2030, creating both economic opportunity and regulatory complexity.
AI adoption outpaces institutional readiness across ASEAN
Dr. Piti Srisangnam (left), Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, explains the study
“Across ASEAN, we are seeing AI use grow faster than our systems’ ability to guide it,” said Dr. 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 finds that while several countries have made progress in expanding digital infrastructure, digital maturity and institutional capacity remain uneven across the region. Persistent gaps in digital skills, public trust, cybersecurity preparedness, and responsible technology use highlight the limits of fragmented national strategies and underscore the need for stronger regional coordination.
Complementing this, the AI Ready ASEAN Research assesses AI readiness across ten ASEAN Member States, with a focus on education communities—specifically students, educators, and parents. The study identifies a consistent gap between high AI usage and actual readiness, particularly in AI literacy, ethical understanding, and institutional support.
Students lead AI use, schools lag readiness
DepEd secretary Sonny Angara
Students emerge as the most active adopters of AI tools, while educators and parents face greater barriers related to confidence, guidance, and access to structured training.
The findings suggest that AI adoption in schools is being driven more by individual experimentation than by formal policy or institutional frameworks.
In the Philippines, the research shows that 83.40% of students and 73.07% of educators reported using generative AI tools within education communities.
Student-led experimentation is particularly evident in AI-powered writing and paraphrasing tools, with 75.95% of students using such tools compared to 42.21% of educators. Despite this high level of adoption, fewer than half of educators expressed strong confidence in their institutions’ AI policies and governance mechanisms.
“Our responsibility now is to ensure that our students use AI confidently and ethically, enabling them to stay ahead in their learning journey,” said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during the launch of the Department of Education’s Project AGAP.AI. “Technology cannot replace discipline. It cannot replace effort. It cannot replace the habit of showing up prepared and ready to learn. It cannot replace hard work.”
For his part, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Philippines is pursuing parallel reforms to integrate AI into basic education. These include the AI Ready ASEAN Philippines Training Programme for learners, teachers, and parents, led by the ASEAN Foundation with support from Google.org.
The Department of Education is also piloting classroom AI tools developed by the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR) and co-developing a national AI curriculum with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Day of AI.
“Through initiatives like AI Ready ASEAN Philippines, we are shaping regional dialogue to ensure that AI adoption across ASEAN is ethical, responsible, and equitable,” Angara said.
Digital risks rise as AI spreads
Taken together, the two studies point to a common regional challenge: AI and digital adoption are advancing faster than institutional, ethical, and community readiness. While students are emerging as the most frequent users of AI tools, educators and parents continue to report lower levels of confidence and literacy.
Meanwhile, rising risks — including online scams, deepfake-enabled fraud, misinformation, and data breaches — are eroding public trust in digital systems and increasing pressure on governments to strengthen governance frameworks.
By releasing the ASEAN Digital Outlook and AI Ready ASEAN Research, the ASEAN Foundation aims to provide policymakers, educators, and development partners with data-driven insights to guide digital and AI transformation across Southeast Asia.
The studies are intended to inform future interventions focused on strengthening digital literacy, improving institutional preparedness, and ensuring that the benefits of AI-driven growth are shared inclusively across the region.
