‘I’m terrified’: AI comes for Southeast Asia’s graduate jobs

Graduate job seekers in Southeast Asia are feeling the impact of artificial intelligence, with many fearing for their career prospects. Nafeesa Azman, a 24-year-old Malaysian marketing graduate, has applied for hundreds of jobs without success, as AI-generated content increasingly replaces human roles. Natthanicha Intawong, a final-year media arts student in Bangkok, expresses terror at the prospect of entering a jobs market already being reshaped by AI.

Joshua Nai, a Singaporean animation graduate, abandoned his gaming dreams after witnessing the prevalence of AI-generated artwork, stating it as a "slap in the face" to human creativity. Across the region, nearly 80 million Southeast Asian workers, or over one-fifth of the workforce, are expected to be affected by AI. While the International Labour Organization (ILO) has not yet observed large-scale job losses, the first effects are being felt by graduates in routine tasks, such as note-taking and data compilation, which AI can now perform more efficiently and cheaply.

In Singapore, the share of job-seeking graduates finding work within six months of their exams fell to 83.4% in 2025 from 87.1% in 2024. The Philippines and Indonesia are also concerned about AI's potential to replace workers in the business process outsourcing sector and increase youth unemployment, respectively. For young people without means to adapt their education, catching up to the AI era is becoming increasingly challenging.