Milieu Insight Study Reveals SEA Workers Fear AI Over-Dependence More Than Job Loss

A new study by Milieu Insight, surveying 3,000 workers across six Southeast Asian markets, with 500 respondents each from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, reveals how employees perceive AI-related risks.

Over-dependence on AI ranks as the top concern across all six markets at 53%, outpacing privacy issues (40%) and job loss (34%). While concerns around job displacement remain significant, employees are increasingly questioning how AI may reshape decision-making, critical thinking, and professional autonomy. This challenges the dominant narrative around AI-driven job displacement, pointing instead to an unease around the erosion of human judgment and capabilities.

Respondents span a range of organisation types, led by private large companies with 200 or more employees (24%), followed by private local SMEs (20%) and multinational corporations (19%). They also represent a diverse mix of industries, including engineering and manufacturing, retail, and information technology.

The Real Fear: Losing Judgment, Not Jobs

The data reveals how the concern of dependency is represented across markets. It is reported by 61% of respondents in Indonesia, 55% in Thailand, 53% in the Philippines, 50% in Vietnam, and 49% in both Malaysia and Singapore.

By contrast, the concern most highlighted in public discourse regarding job loss, ranks consistently lower across all markets: 42% in the Philippines, 39% in Singapore, 34% in Indonesia, 33% in Thailand and Malaysia, and 24% in Vietnam. These figures suggest that workers are more focused on maintaining their independent capability than on the threat of outright replacement.

Workers Expect AI to Assist But With Major Workflow Changes

When asked how they expect AI to affect their role in the next five years, the most common response across the region, selected by 41% of respondents overall is that AI will assist them but not replace their core tasks. Workers are not expecting AI to replace their thinking, but rather to streamline routine tasks and reduce inefficiencies. 51% say AI will help them save time on repetitive work, allowing greater focus on higher-value responsibilities.

The second most common response, cited by 26% overall, is that significant parts of their role will be automated and they will need to adapt to new methods. Just 10% believe their job may be replaced entirely, while 10% expect AI will create new opportunities or responsibilities.

On AI's broader impact, optimism is the dominant sentiment. 41% of respondents describe themselves as somewhat optimistic, with benefits seen as outweighing potential risks. A further 13% are very optimistic.

Vietnam (66% optimistic) and Thailand (58%) record the highest optimism. Singapore records the highest combined pessimism at 15%. The relatively strong optimism across emerging Southeast Asian markets likely reflects expectations that AI will drive productivity, digital innovation, and new economic opportunities across the region.

Strong AI Demand, But Organisational Readiness Gaps Persist

Among barriers to workplace AI adoption, data security and privacy concerns rank first across the majority of markets: cited by 50% of Singapore respondents, 45% in Vietnam, 44% in Indonesia, 42% in Malaysia and 40% in the Philippines. Lack of technical skills ranks second overall, followed by concerns about cost and employee resistance.

Digital infrastructure gap are more pronounced in Thailand (26%) and Indonesia (23%) than in Malaysia (17%) and Singapore (14%), reflecting differences in organisational maturity across markets.

Despite strong AI adoption intent across the region, readiness gaps remain. Only 25% of respondents in Vietnam, 14% in the Philippines, 13% in Indonesia, and 12% in Malaysia report their organisation is 'very prepared' with clear strategies, resources, and training in place. The majority across all markets describe their organisation as only 'somewhat prepared'.

Active employer encouragement to use AI is reported by only 25% of Singapore respondents, rising to 38% in Vietnam - the highest across the region.

This gap between enthusiasm for AI and organisational readiness highlights a broader challenge across the region. While businesses recognise the potential of AI, many are still in the early stages of building the governance, training, and infrastructure needed to support widespread adoption.

Sundip Chahal, Group CEO of Milieu Insight, said: "Workers across Southeast Asia are not just worried about being replaced by AI. Their bigger concern is becoming too reliant on it at the expense of judgment, capability, and independent thinking. While sentiment across the region remains broadly optimistic, this suggests the issue is not resistance to AI itself, but whether organisations are putting the right training, guardrails, and disciplines in place. This points to a workforce that is open to AI, but still navigating how to use it responsibly and effectively, and that is where businesses now need to focus."

• ข่าวo:member
• ข่าวo:loc
• ข่าวen
• ข่าวo:it