AISEAN / OVERVIEW
ASEAN AI Intelligence Hub
Open-source database tracking the AI ecosystem across Southeast Asia — companies, funding, policy, models, infrastructure, jobs.
AISEAN's mission is to close the AI readiness gap across all ten ASEAN member states by publishing transparent, data-grounded rankings that hold governments and industries accountable. With the region's digital economy projected to reach US$1 trillion by 2030 and Southeast Asia now the only global market grouping to outperform the worldwide benchmark across all five trustworthy-AI dimensions (SAS, Sep 2026), the stakes for equitable, sovereign, and human-centred AI have never been higher. From Singapore's world-class infrastructure to Cambodia's and Laos's nascent strategies, AISEAN tracks every step of this uneven but accelerating journey — so policymakers, investors, and citizens can act on facts, not hype. All figures are sourced from the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index, SAS Trustworthy AI Index 2026, ISEAS, Fulcrum/RSIS, and official national AI strategy documents; none are invented.
ASEAN Member States — AI Readiness Rankings (Global)
| Country | AI Highlights | Rank | Key Stat | Sovereign LLM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | Ranks #2 globally in government AI readiness. National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0) targets ~4% GDP contribution from tech. OpenAI opened its first overseas Applied AI Lab (S$300M) in May 2026. Hosts SEA's largest data-centre footprint (1.46 GW live). Budget 2026 offers a 400% tax deduction on qualifying AI expenditure. SEA-LION v4 (multimodal, 256K context) and v4.5 (agentic reasoning) released in 2026. | #2 | 1.46 GW live DC capacity — largest in SEA | SEA-LION v4.5 (AI Singapore) |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Ranks #23 globally. Launched ILMU LLM in Aug 2025 — the only ASEAN state to build a sovereign LLM from scratch at foundational level, not via continual pre-training. National AI Roadmap and MDEC-led AI governance frameworks active. Took strong enforcement action banning Grok in early 2026 over safety concerns. Proposing binding AI legislation. | #23 | Only ASEAN nation with a ground-up sovereign foundational LLM (ILMU, 2025) | ILMU LLM (MDEC / Government-backed) |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | Ranks #37 globally. National AI Strategy 2022–2027 in execution. Strong public–private AI labs and a thriving open-source LLM ecosystem. Hosted the AI for Developing Countries Forum Bangkok Summit (Feb 2026) that produced a 100-nation AI sovereignty declaration. SAS named Thailand among SEA's trustworthy-AI overperformers. | #37 | Hosted 100-nation Bangkok AI Sovereignty Summit, Feb 2026 | Typhoon 2 (VISTEC / SCB Tech X) |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Ranks #42 globally. National AI Strategy covers five priority sectors: health, food, education, smart cities, and mobility. Banned Grok in early 2026 on safety grounds. Government committing to sovereign cloud and data infrastructure under Prabowo administration's digital agenda. Deficiencies in AI law enforceability noted by 2026 ASEAN governance audit. | #42 | 5 national AI priority sectors; population base of 280 M+ | Merak (BRIN / government research consortium, pre-production) |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | Ranks #59 globally but leads ASEAN on AI governance maturity alongside Singapore per the 2026 ASEAN policy audit. AI Law passed Dec 2025, entered force March 2026 — ASEAN's first binding AI legal framework. Nearly 90% of students already use GenAI tools. Moving from technology adoption to building sovereign AI capabilities in data, compute, and talent. | #59 | ASEAN's 1st binding AI Law in force, March 2026 | ViGPT / PhoGPT (Vingroup & VinAI Research) |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | Ranks #65 globally but rose 7 places in the 2025 Oxford Insights index — the biggest ASEAN mover. Assumed ASEAN Chair in 2025–26, positioned to shape an 'ASEAN way' for the AI era. Over 80% of students report active AI usage. National AI Roadmap and proposed AI legislation under review. Banned Grok in early 2026 on safety grounds. | #65 | +7 places in Oxford AI Readiness Index — biggest ASEAN gainer 2025 | No sovereign LLM yet; SeaLLM / SEA-LION adopted by gov't pilots |
| 🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam | Ranks #74 globally. Released AI Governance and Ethics Guide 2025 under AITI and gazetted Personal Data Protection Order 2025. Formal national AI strategy in progress under the 2025 Digital Economy Masterplan. Cited ASEAN AI Guide as the foundation of its own framework. No binding AI law enacted yet; innovation-led, principles-based stance. | #74 | AI Governance & Ethics Guide released 2025 (AITI) | No sovereign LLM; reliant on SEA-LION and commercial APIs |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | No formal national AI strategy yet, but draft strategy entered public consultation June 2025. Guided by Digital Economy & Society Policy Framework 2021–2035 and Ministry of Industry AI Landscape Report (2023). UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology completed. Government pledge: 'regulate, not strangulate'. Lowest digital infrastructure density in mainland SEA. | ~#120 (est.) | Draft AI strategy public consultation launched, June 2025 | No sovereign LLM; exploratory stage |
| 🇱🇦 Laos | No specific AI law; guided by Laos Digital Economy Strategy 2021–2030 and a 20-year national vision (2021–2040). UNESCO AI Readiness Assessment completed. Draft national AI strategy in development. Landlocked geography and low broadband penetration limit deployment speed. Regional connectivity via Greater Mekong Subregion frameworks. | ~#130 (est.) | 20-year digital vision (2021–2040) anchors AI planning | No sovereign LLM; exploratory stage |
| 🇲🇲 Myanmar | Lowest AI readiness in ASEAN. Cybersecurity Law No. 1/2025 indirectly addresses AI. e-Governance Master Plan 2030 outlines digital government vision. High-level meetings underway to craft a national AI strategy. Weak infrastructure, ongoing political instability, and absence of AI-specific legislation severely limit progress. Excluded from most 2026 ASEAN AI governance analyses. | ~#140 (est.) | Cybersecurity Law 2025 only indirect AI legal reference to date | No sovereign LLM; connectivity and governance constraints |