Reports from Google and others: Southeast Asia's generative AI users reach 243 million

Cailian Press reported on October 22 that a joint report released by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company shows that the number of generative AI users in Southeast Asia reached approximately 243 million in less than three years, accounting for 58% of the local labor force, with a penetration rate about four times that of mobile internet. Only 1% to 2% of the local population pays for personal AI services.

Florian Hoppe, a partner at Bain & Company, stated in an interview that businesses can achieve AI commercialization through e-commerce, digital advertising, and other operations without having to rely entirely on consumers paying directly. They can also use AI to improve e-commerce conversion rates and handle routine customer inquiries. The report noted that about 80% of customer inquiries on the e-commerce platform Shopee are handled by AI chatbots, with the cost per customer contact decreasing by 30% year-on-year. In early cases, companies that applied AI saw a year-on-year increase in conversion rates of 10%, with the average spending per order increasing by as much as 75%.

The report also stated that the total value of goods traded in Southeast Asia's digital economy is expected to grow by 17% year-on-year to $368 billion by 2026, and is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2035. Among these, the online travel market is expected to grow by 10% to $59 billion, online media revenue is expected to grow by 22% to $44 billion, and the ride-hailing and food delivery market is expected to grow by 15% to $40 billion. The total value of goods traded in Southeast Asia's e-commerce market is projected to be $226 billion in 2026, an 18% year-on-year increase.