Southeast Asia Outperforms Global Counterparts in Using AI in a Safe and Responsible Manner

Southeast Asia's AI trustworthiness has improved significantly, but the region still struggles to convert this into strong returns. The Trustworthiness Index increased by 8.8 points to 66.5 in 2026. This progress is commendable. However, 55% of 200 Thai organizations surveyed believe their AI implementation has not reached full potential. Uncertain ROI remains a major barrier to AI adoption across Southeast Asia.

The gap between AI ambition and infrastructure readiness is a critical issue for the region. Advanced AI maturity rose 20.5 points in 2026, while infrastructure maturity increased by only 4.1 points. Thailand exemplifies this challenge. 47% of Thai organizations still use fragmented AI deployments. Only 40% of Thai companies have a dedicated AI leader. This fragmented approach hinders enterprise-wide adoption and value realization.

Data quality and skill gaps are significant obstacles to greater AI value. 70% of Thai businesses identified data quality issues as a challenge to achieving higher AI ROI. 79% experience low-quality AI outputs occasionally. This leads to rework and delays. Only 13% of Thai businesses report full readiness in skills for AI governance. These gaps must close for Southeast Asia to fully capitalize on its AI investments.