Southeast Asia is hungry for AI — and the money isn't just in subscriptions

SINGAPORE - MAY 31: Scenes of daily life and the urban landscape are seen in Singapore on May 31, 2026. Located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, about 137 kilometers north of the Equator, Singapore is a city-state known for its modern urban environment and high standards of living. Green spaces integrated into the cityscape, multicultural communities and vibrant urban life are among the prominent features of the city. (Photo by Mustafa Hatipoglu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Southeast Asia is embracing artificial intelligence at a rapid pace. But the business of making money from AI is about more than getting consumers to pay for it.

Generative AI adoption in the region has reached around 243 million people in less than three years, according to the annual e-Conomy SEA report released Wednesday by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company.

That is equivalent to 58% of the working population, with adoption occurring four times faster than the uptake of mobile internet. Yet only 1% to 2% of the region's population pays for personal AI subscriptions, highlighting a gap between widespread adoption and direct consumer spending.

Florian Hoppe, a partner at Bain & Company, told CNBC in an interview that businesses have found other ways to generate AI's commercial value from online shopping to digital advertising.

AI monetization does not depend on us paying.

Florian Hoppe

Partner, Bain & Company

Companies have been using AI to improve e-commerce conversion rates and handle routine customer inquiries, allowing employees to focus on other tasks, he added.

Consumers may also be paying indirectly for AI when purchasing products developed using the technology.

The findings come as Southeast Asia's digital economy is projected to grow 17% to $368 billion in gross merchandise value this year, with the market expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2035, according to the report.

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