Southeast Asia Reaches 243 Million AI Users as 1%-2% Pay for Subscriptions
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Oct 22
Southeast Asia Reaches 243 Million AI Users as 1%-2% Pay for Subscriptions
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Oct 22
Summary
243 million people in Southeast Asia now use generative AI, equal to 58% of the working population and a rollout pace four times faster than mobile internet, according to the latest e-Conomy SEA report.
Only 1%-2% of the population pays for personal AI subscriptions, pushing companies to monetize through e-commerce, advertising and AI-enabled services rather than direct consumer fees.
69% of shoppers use AI for complex purchase comparisons, while early case studies show conversion rates rising 10% year on year and average order values climbing as much as 75%.
Shopee now routes about 80% of customer queries through AI chatbots, cutting cost per customer contact by 30%, while users are growing more comfortable with autonomous tools—75% would let AI agents find prices and buy for them.
The AI surge is feeding a digital economy projected to grow 17% to $368 billion this year, with Southeast Asia still using AI at just 10% of U.S. per-person levels.