🤖🎓 From users to creators: Teaching youth to harness AI responsibly
Hundreds of students join ASEAN Foundation workshop as part of a regional push to build AI literacy from the ground up
🎯 The Main Takeaway
The ASEAN Foundation, with support from Google, hosted a workshop titled “Empowering Students for the Future: AI Literacy for a Digital ASEAN” for hundreds of Indonesian students in Bandung, West Java, last March. The programme introduces basic AI concepts as a learning support tool, aiming to help students use generative AI responsibly while building adaptability for Southeast Asia’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.
The workshop is part of the broader AI Ready ASEAN initiative, launched in 2024 to strengthen AI literacy across the region.
📡 Why It’s on Our Radar
Southeast Asia’s digital economy is projected to grow from US$300 billion in 2025 to US$1 trillion by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum. Indonesia alone is expected to lead the region with a valuation of US$360 billion.
Yet digital literacy across most ASEAN member states remains moderate to low, with Myanmar scoring just 10.45 per 100—the lowest in Asia. Only Singapore and Brunei have achieved high digital literacy scores above 80. This gap between AI adoption and actual readiness demands urgent attention.
📊 The Opportunity: AI’s Potential in Southeast Asia
📈 Economic boost: AI could add at least US$270 billion to the region’s economy, including US$29 billion for Malaysia, helping companies build smarter financial systems.
🚀 High adoption rates: Southeast Asian citizens already show strong AI engagement, with 70% using generative AI weekly. Among youth aged 13–24 in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, 90% use generative AI daily.
🌐 Digital growth: Internet penetration across ASEAN has reached 76.03%, though Laos and Myanmar still face connectivity challenges, with roughly half their populations offline.
⚠️ The Challenges: Readiness Gaps
📉 Low digital literacy: Across most ASEAN member states, digital literacy remains moderate to low. Indonesia’s digital literacy score has grown slowly, remaining “moderate” in the 2020–2023 index from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. Urban areas show 52.5% of respondents with high digital literacy, compared to just 49.8% in rural areas.
🧠 Training gap: While 95.25% of Indonesian students admit to using generative AI models, only 46.2% of educators and 62.19% of parents have received adequate training. This disparity leaves young users without sufficient guidance.
🏫 Institutional readiness: The gap between high AI use and low preparedness across Southeast Asia—particularly Indonesia—highlights the need for enhanced AI capabilities before the next phase of transformation.
🌏 The Big Picture: AI Ready ASEAN
Launched in 2024, the AI Ready ASEAN initiative runs for 2.5 years with a US$5 million grant from Google. It aims to develop critical AI capabilities for citizens of ASEAN member countries, focusing on youth, educators, parents and underserved communities.
Results to date:
6 million+ beneficiaries across ASEAN
100,000+ participants completing in-depth AI training
3,500+ Master Trainers empowered to expand the programme sustainably
The initiative aligns with the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2030, which seeks to sustain green and AI-driven digital transformation while building a trusted AI ecosystem in Southeast Asia.
“We believe every student, wherever they are, deserves equal opportunities to understand and benefit from artificial intelligence. Digital transformation is not only about technology—it is about opening doors of opportunity for young people to dream bigger, innovate, and create positive impact in their communities.”
~ Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation
🏠 Why This Hits Home
For Indonesian students, AI literacy is no longer optional—it is a core workforce capability in a digital economy projected to reach US$360 billion. Yet with only 46% of educators trained to guide them, students are navigating AI tools largely on their own. Programmes like AI Ready ASEAN aim to close that gap, ensuring that the next generation can use AI not just as consumers, but as responsible, informed creators.
🔮 The Bottom Line
Southeast Asia stands at a crossroads: AI adoption is surging, but digital literacy and institutional support lag dangerously behind. The AI Ready ASEAN initiative represents a strategic investment in the region’s most valuable resource—its youth.
Closing the training gap for educators and parents, while expanding connectivity to underserved communities, will determine whether ASEAN merely uses AI or truly masters it.
Need More Angles
Antara AI boom or bubble? Indonesia must choose readiness over hype
ASCC Platforms Programme Digital Literacy and Transformation in ASEAN: A Call for Education Policy Reform
Deloitte Generative AI in Asia Pacific
Digital Literacy Index Countries Directory
Jakarta Post ASEAN report finds region eager for AI but lacking guidance
Public First The AI Opportunity in Southeast Asia
World Economic Forum ASEAN takes major step toward landmark digital economy pact
(ADE/ELS)