A new report from e-commerce platform Lazada reveals that 37% of businesses are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools despite acknowledging the role of AI in improving productivity (89%) and long-term cost reductions (93%).
“The results of our research reveal an attractive gap in the Southeast Asian ecommerce ecosystem. While most sellers understand the potential for AI transformation, many still navigate the path from awareness to implementation.”
“As a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, we aim to bridge the gap between knowledge and adoption by developing accessible AI solutions that address the unique challenges faced by sellers in various markets, ultimately making technology more accessible and driving sustainable business growth regardless of sellers’ size or technical expertise,” Dong added.
Online Seller Recognition and Adoption
Reports that bridge the AI gap: The perceptions and adoption trends among online sellers in Southeast Asia reveal that almost all sellers (93%) recognize the importance of increasing the workforce to increase productivity using AI.
However, 61% remained skeptical about the overall usefulness, while 64% believe it will be expensive and time-consuming to implement.
Additionally, 75% say they prefer to use tools their employees know better than new AI solutions.
AI-driven solutions
To bridge the gap between AI awareness and implementation, Lazada launches an AI-based Readiness Playbook for online sellers and a new Generate AI (Genai) feature to enhance product listings, streamline operations, and enhance customer transformation.
Developed in partnership with Kantal, the report examined 1,214 e-commerce sellers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
