The Southeast Asian (SEA) region shows promising potential as a global hub for digital innovation and sustainability. Between 2019 and 2022, nearly 100 million new users joined the internet across the region, pushing total online penetration to over 493 million. The digital economy now contributes between 6 to 23% of GDP in ASEAN countries and is expected to reach USD 600 billion by 2030. This growth is underpinned by rapid investments in digital infrastructure, AI adoption, and resilient supply chains, signalling a future shaped by technology-led development and inclusive growth.

Despite these promising trends, challenges remain in ensuring that technological advancements translate into broad-based social good. Artificial intelligence (AI) alone could add up to USD 1 trillion in economic value to the region. However, with an estimated 57% of job roles in SEA potentially augmented or disrupted by generative AI, approximately 164 million workers face significant transitions. Concerted efforts to build digital literacy, create inclusive digital infrastructure, and upskill populations, are needed to bridge inequalities rather than deepening them.

Against this backdrop, the Tech for Good Institute moderated a panel titled “Tech Accelerating Impact for Social Good” at the Asia Tech x Singapore (ATx) Summit, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). This panel gathered leading voices in government, private sector, and international development to explore how technology can effectively address SEA’s most pressing challenges. Speakers also identified crucial points of collaboration at the national, regional, and global levels to promote trust and bridge digital divides for a digitally sustainable future for the region.

Moderator and Panelists:

• Dr. Ming Tan –  (Founding Executive Director of TFGI)
• H.E. Clara Chappaz – (Minister Delegate for AI & Digital Affairs, France),
• Dr. Wolfgang Dierker –  (Global Head of Government Affairs & CSR, SAP)
• Sanjay Gupta – (President, Google Asia Pacific)
• Robert Opp – (Chief Digital Officer, UNDP)

Key takeaways

1. Digital transformation must be people-centered to ensure greater buy-in and narrow digital divides

There is a need to place people at the core of digital transformation strategies. A people-centered approach to technology must be prioritized that actively closes gaps in access, education, and infrastructure—particularly in underserved and rural communities. The digital divide must also be viewed as a development divide.  Human rights and environmental sustainability must be a core consideration and an integral component of digitalisation. In line with this, global frameworks such as the UN’s Global compact, Digital Strategy, and multilateral summits must be further strengthened and implemented to bridge prevailing inequities and pursue digitalisation sustainably.

There is also an urgent need to build skills development pipelines and develop human capital to promote productive participation in the digital economy. Generation Unlimited is an example of effective collaboration between the public and private sector to develop these competencies. The global partnership between SAP, UNICEF, and other organisations focuses on providing young people with the skills and opportunities they need to thrive in the global workforce, particularly in the digital economy. The AI global skills coalition is another initiative led by the International Telecommunications Union to address the growing AI skills gap and democratize AI education.

2. Responsible adoption of technologies such as AI can help address the regions long standing challenges

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful tool with the potential to tackle entrenched challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, and beyond. The transformative power of AI can be leveraged to solve problems at the societal level.

At the same time, AI tools must be designed to address local problems, and solutions must be crafted that are nuanced to the needs of the local population to increase impact. For instance, in healthcare, AI is already being used in India to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcomes in rural areas, especially in the medical imaging space.

AI can overcome linguistic and cultural barriers in a region as diverse as Southeast Asia. Google’s efforts in language translation are enabling more inclusive digital services across multiple local languages, bridging communication gaps in education, governance, and public services.

In manufacturing, AI shows wide potential in helping unlock productivity gains across sectors. SAP recently co-authored a white paper on AI in the manufacturing sector, which explores how AI-driven automation can enhance efficiency and create higher-skilled job opportunities—particularly when paired with the right public-private-academic partnerships.

But stakeholders must also take an active role in enabling innovation while ensuring safety and trust among societies. Building trust in digital technologies is essential to achieve greater societal buy-in and mitigate harms. Without inclusive access and safeguards, innovation risks reinforcing inequality rather than reducing it. Strategic action is necessary to address AI’s risks and to promote ethical AI governance from the outset.

3. Private sector leadership and cross-sector collaboration can further promote the ASEAN region as a hub for digital innovation

To ensure that digital technologies contribute to long-term social good, there is a need to create the right conditions for innovation. Achieving digital sustainability requires bold and concerted action across public, private, and non-profit sectors. The private sector has a central role to play in designing technologies that align innovation with long-term social impact. Companies are increasingly integrating sustainability into their core business models, offering platforms that support responsible sourcing, climate action, and inclusive economic participation.

Digital business platforms are also enabling smaller companies—particularly MSMEs that are the backbone of the SEA economy—to access global supply chains and participate in new markets in a sustainable manner. For instance, SAP ariba is a cloud based platform that offers several opportunities for SMEs in streamlining processes,  accessing global supply chains, and participating in new markets. Similar platforms enable SMEs to scale sustainably and transparently. AI academy by Google helps both startups and SMES leverage the latest AI technology with the objective of accelerating their business growth and facilitating the construction of human centered AI solutions. 

Regional and cross-country collaboration also surfaced as essential enablers for digital innovation. The panel discussed the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement as a critical vehicle to ensure regional interoperability and shared digital standards. Bilateral partnerships like the France–Singapore joint agreement on digital innovation and standards are helping to set global norms while respecting local contexts.