Southeast Asia: A ‘laboratory’ for tech and the future of work

By Erika Mae P. Sinaking

SOUTHEAST ASIA is shaping up to become a laboratory for testing inclusive, technology-driven workforce models, as companies rethink how to incorporate automation and artificial intelligence (AI) into their business models.

Vijay Eswaran, a Malaysian who serves as executive chairman of the QI Group, told BusinessWorld that companies can use technology to redesign work rather than replace employees, and that inclusive, skills-based strategies are essential for preparing the workforce for future roles in both the domestic and regional economies.

“The smartest way to think about technology is not ‘jobs lost versus jobs gained,’ but tasks redesigned,” Mr. Eswaran said in an e-mail interview. “AI, automation, and digital tools don’t replace people as much as they replace parts of work. That’s a huge opportunity to lift productivity while widening participation.”

Citing the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report, he noted that while 92 million positions may be displaced globally, 170 million new ones are expected to emerge. He said this means inclusion must be designed into transformation from the outset.

Mr. Eswaran recommended designing “augmentation-first” roles. “Start by mapping tasks in frontline, service, operations and admin roles, then introduce tools that remove drudgery and raise judgement-work,” he said citing customer problem-solving, exception handling, relationship management.

Broadening digital access, he said, is also essential, with WEF data showing that 60% of employers consider it to be the single most transformative trend.

“The future of work isn’t about replacing Filipinos with machines; it’s about upgrading Filipino work so talent can move up the value chain,” he said.

This approach is critical for a country currently enjoying a “demographic dividend” — a working-age population projected to grow until 2045.

“This window won’t last forever without the right policies and business action,” he said, adding that inclusion must be “practical, not performative,” focusing on mobile-first learning and local training hubs that reach the archipelago’s provincial communities and MSMEs.

According to Mr. Eswaran, the biggest mistake is treating upskilling as a checking-the-box exercise for HR rather than a core business redesign.

“If learning doesn’t change the work, it’s not upskilling, it’s just entertainment,” he said. He highlighted a growing trend of “training for certificates, not capabilities,” where employees collect credentials that have zero impact on their day-to-day productivity.

To combat this, Mr. Eswaran proposed creating role-based “skill stacks” and providing “protected learning time.”

The WEF report identifies skills gaps as the single largest barrier to business transformation, affecting 63% of employers.

Another mistake is “one-size-fits-all learning,” with the same content rolled out to everyone regardless of their role. He added the lack of time, tools, or managerial support leaves workers being expected to learn on top of their regular workload.

“People learn fastest when learning is tied to outcomes,” he said adding that without such internal mobility, “employees upskill… then leave, because there’s no visible pathway inside the firm.”

The Philippines isn’t starting from scratch. Mr. Eswaran pointed to the country’s existing structural advantages, such as the Dual Training System Act (RA 7686) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) ecosystem, as powerful foundations. However, he noted the limitations of government-led initiatives.

“TESDA cannot do it alone,” he said, advocating for curricula that are “co-owned” by the private sector, not just “consulted.” He warned that the government’s “Trabahong Digital” initiative, which aims for 8 million digital jobs by 2028, must tether training to actual employer demand to avoid a surplus of highly trained individuals with no relevant roles to fill.

The Philippines’ English proficiency remains a primary accelerator, he said. Ranked 28th globally on the EF EPI Index, the Philippines has a platform to move beyond call centers and into “higher-value knowledge work” when paired with AI and data skills.

For long-term investors, he said human capital has become a core metric of resilience.

“No company can keep up alone anymore. Not with AI, cybersecurity threats, shifting customer behavior, climate risk, and changing regulation.”

With 39% of core skills expected to change by 2030, firms that align upskilling with internal mobility and expand talent pools — including women, seniors, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) — will be better positioned to adapt and grow.

“In the intelligent age, people are not a cost line; they are the resilience strategy,” he added.

Mr. Eswaran urged management teams to focus on internal mobility and the widening of talent pools — including women, seniors, and PWDs — noting that diversity is now a key driver of talent availability.

Mr. Eswaran sees the broader ASEAN region as a “laboratory” for the future of work.

Because ASEAN includes every stage of economic development — from frontier digital hubs to massive informal economies — it is the ideal place to pilot models that prioritize skills-based hiring over traditional credential filtering.

“ASEAN can prove that the future of work doesn’t have to be unequal,” Mr. Eswaran said. “We can design it to widen opportunity while raising competitiveness.”

The real test for enterprises, he added, is to use technology to transform work, make strategic investments in their people, and forge partnerships that bring together government, industry, and education.

Done well, this approach could make the Philippines not just a beneficiary of global workforce trends, but a global benchmark for inclusive, future-ready work.