According to CNBC, the latest annual e-Conomy SEA report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company reveals that generative AI has reached approximately 243 million people in Southeast Asia, equivalent to 58% of the region's workforce, with an adoption rate four times faster than mobile internet. However, the paid subscription rate for personal AI is only 1%-2%.

Florian Hoppe, a partner at Bain & Company, noted that businesses are creating commercial value from AI through other means like online shopping and digital advertising. For instance, e-commerce platform Shopee now handles about 80% of customer inquiries via AI chatbots, reducing the contact cost per customer by 30%. Consumers hold a "pragmatic optimism" towards AI, with 75% willing to let AI agents complete purchases. Despite this, per capita AI usage in Southeast Asia is still only 10% of the level in the United States.

The report projects that Southeast Asia's digital economy will grow by 17% this year to $368 billion and is expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2035.