(Photo: 123RF)
A quiet anxiety is already taking root beneath the surface of global optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). By 2030, an estimated 164 million workers in Southeast Asia could see their roles at risk of disruption by generative AI, through automation of routine tasks and the augmentation of complex roles.In Thailand, the emergence of AI contributes to mounting pressures faced by a labour force already troubled by rising living costs and fear of structural layoffs -- with 30% of workers reporting that they now see AI as crucial to job stability. This has led to a growing fatalist attitude driven by the belief that the future of work will be decided not by people, but by algorithms.
This narrative, while compelling, is incomplete. The future of work is not something that happens to us. It is something we create. Technology may change the tools in our hands, but it does not remove the responsibility from our shoulders. At its core, job creation is not driven by technology alone. It is driven by human initiative, by people who see problems, take risks and build solutions.
If Thailand and Asean as a whole were to navigate this moment with confidence, we must look beyond remaining a passive player in this AI race. We must ask a more fundamental question: how do we ensure that our labour markets are not merely adopters of technology, but creators of opportunity?
