{"id":842978,"date":"2025-04-23T09:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T14:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/23\/gap-between-ai-awareness-adoption-seen-in-se-asia-study\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:12:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T14:12:09","slug":"gap-between-ai-awareness-adoption-seen-in-se-asia-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/23\/gap-between-ai-awareness-adoption-seen-in-se-asia-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Gap between AI awareness, adoption seen in SE Asia: study"},"content":{"rendered":"
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  7. Gap between AI awareness, adoption seen in SE Asia: study<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Southeast\u00a0Asian online\u00a0sellers are widely aware of\u00a0artificial\u00a0intelligence<\/a>\u00a0(AI) but are relatively low\u00a0in actual\u00a0adoption\u00a0
    in\u00a0business operations, according to a new joint\u00a0study\u00a0by e-commerce platforms Lazada and Kantar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    The\u00a0study<\/a>, titled \u201cBridging the\u00a0AI\u00a0Gap: Online\u00a0Seller Perceptions and\u00a0Adoption\u00a0Trends\u00a0in\u00a0Southeast\u00a0Asia,\u201d which surveyed 1,214 online\u00a0sellers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore,\u00a0Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, paints a picture of both optimism and uncertainty regarding\u00a0AI\u00a0in\u00a0e-commerce.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    The\u00a0study\u00a0says that while 68% of\u00a0sellers are familiar with\u00a0AI\u00a0and 89% agree on its\u00a0importance for productivity<\/a>, 61% question its immediate usefulness, while 64% cite cost and complexity as major barriers to\u00a0adoption.\u00a0Interestingly, half of the\u00a0sellers already use\u00a0AI\u00a0in\u00a0their personal lives, but\u00a0business application<\/a>\u00a0significantly lags behind.<\/p>\n

    Profiling\u00a0AI\u00a0adoption: Who\u2019s leading and who\u2019s left behind<\/strong><\/p>\n

    To categorize the levels of\u00a0AI\u00a0readiness, the\u00a0study\u00a0introduced an\u00a0AI\u00a0Readiness\u00a0Index, dividing\u00a0sellers\u00a0into three groups:\u00a0AI\u00a0
    Adepts (top 25%\u00a0in\u00a0adoption),\u00a0AI\u00a0Aspirants (average\u00a0adoption), and\u00a0AI Agnostics (bottom 75%).\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Alarmingly, only one\u00a0in\u00a0four\u00a0sellers\u00a0in\u00a0the region are considered\u00a0AI\u00a0Adepts, signaling that most businesses are still far from full\u00a0AI\u00a0integration. The\u00a0gap\u00a0between\u00a0perceived and actual\u00a0AI\u00a0usage is most pronounced\u00a0in\u00a0Thailand,\u00a0Indonesia, and\u00a0
    Singapore<\/a>, despite their economic and digital\u00a0infrastructure advantages.<\/p>\n

    \"AI
    Source: Lazada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    AI\u00a0across business functions: Uneven implementation<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The report explored\u00a0AI\u00a0usage across\u00a0several key business areas.\u00a0In\u00a0operations and logistics,\u00a0AI\u00a0is commonly used for\u00a0
    inventory tracking and\u00a0security but less so for advanced robotics. Product management\u00a0sees\u00a0    AI\u00a0applied to content generation<\/a>, such as product reviews and descriptions, while tasks like product bundling remain largely manual.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    In\u00a0marketing and advertising,\u00a0AI-driven social media<\/a>\u00a0strategies are gaining traction, but customer\u00a0segmentation remains underutilized.\u00a0Chatbots<\/a>\u00a0dominate customer\u00a0service\u00a0AI\u00a0tools, while more sophisticated systems like ticket routing are still limited, particularly among\u00a0AI\u00a0Agnostics. Workforce management reflects a mixed picture:\u00a0AI\u00a0adoption\u00a0is higher among Adepts and Agnostics but less accepted by Aspirants, showing a varied employee response\u00a0to automation.<\/p>\n

    Market-specific trends: Leaders and laggards<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"Actual
    Source: Lazada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The\u00a0study\u00a0reveals notable differences\u00a0in\u00a0AI\u00a0adoption\u00a0across Southeast\u00a0Asian countries.\u00a0Indonesia and Vietnam lead with higher actual\u00a0adoption\u00a0rates, followed by Singapore and Thailand with moderate levels. Malaysia and the\u00a0Philippines<\/a>\u00a0trail behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Despite strong\u00a0infrastructure, Singapore struggles with upskilling and access to the latest\u00a0AI\u00a0tools. Conversely, Malaysia shows good theoretical understanding but faces\u00a0infrastructural limitations that hinder practical\u00a0integration. These\u00a0nuances suggest that tailored strategies are required for each market to overcome their unique obstacles.<\/p>\n

    Seller demands: More\u00a0AI\u00a0tools and support<\/strong><\/p>\n

    According to the\u00a0study, Southeast\u00a0Asian\u00a0sellers are keen on improving their experience through more\u00a0AI-powered tools and stronger platform support. The desire for enhanced\u00a0AI\u00a0capabilities is strongest\u00a0in\u00a0Thailand (53%), Vietnam (48%), and the\u00a0Philippines<\/a>\u00a0(43%). Commonly known and used features\u00a0include\u00a0AI\u00a0chatbots,\u00a0seller assistants, and analytics tools, with chatbots being the most appreciated for their functionality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    On the e-commerce Lazada platform, the most recognized tools\u00a0include Lazada Business Advisor, Lazada Sponsored Solutions, and\u00a0AI\u00a0Selling Points, all of which receive high marks for satisfaction. However, product-focused\u00a0AI\u00a0tools like smart listings and product optimization remain underutilized, pointing to a need for better\u00a0seller education and\u00a0awareness.<\/p>\n

    Bridging the\u00a0AI\u00a0gap: A regional priority<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The\u00a0study\u00a0concludes that\u00a0Southeast\u00a0Asia\u2019s e-commerce\u00a0sector<\/a>\u00a0stands at a pivotal moment.\u00a0Sellers are aware of\u00a0AI\u2019s potential to drive efficiency and growth, yet the road to\u00a0adoption\u00a0remains riddled with cost, complexity, and knowledge hurdles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Bridging this\u00a0gap\u00a0will require strategic\u00a0investment\u00a0in\u00a0infrastructure, widespread education\u00a0initiatives, and platform-driven support systems. By addressing these\u00a0challenges head-on, the region\u2019s online\u00a0sellers can unlock the full potential of\u00a0AI\u00a0and thrive\u00a0in\u00a0an\u00a0increasingly competitive digital economy.<\/p>\n

    In\u00a0order for artificial\u00a0intelligence (AI) to work right within\u00a0the law and thrive\u00a0in\u00a0the face of growing challenges, it needs to\u00a0<\/em>
    integrate an enterprise\u00a0blockchain system that ensures data\u00a0input quality and ownership\u2014allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data.\u00a0<\/em>    Check out CoinGeek\u2019s coverage<\/em><\/a>\u00a0on this emerging tech to learn more\u00a0<\/em>why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of\u00a0AI<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Watch: Educating the government on potentials of blockchain<\/p>\n