AI Ready ASEAN | Media Relations

The ASEAN Foundation launched AI Ready ASEAN to address uneven AI readiness across the region, where digital literacy and access to training vary widely between urban and rural communities. While AI has the potential to boost Southeast Asia’s GDP by 10%-18% by 2030, concerns around job displacement, privacy, scams, and misinformation threaten public trust and adoption. The task for the communications campaign was to build trust, demystify AI, and translate a complex, sensitive topic into clear, practical guidance that resonates across ten culturally diverse ASEAN member states.

Vero developed and executed a communications strategy grounded in honesty, accessibility, and local relevance, meeting audiences where they are with practical AI storytelling. The approach was shaped by key insights:

• Students were the most confident AI users, while educators and parents were more skeptical;
• Ethical readiness remained uneven; and
• Perceptions often outpaced actual literacy.

To ensure credibility and alignment, the campaign collaborated closely with governments, academia, and national partners across ASEAN. The team secured the support of Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as well as the Philippine Department of Education and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Vero also amplified visibility with a high-impact PR strategy and stakeholder outreach across two major regional convenings.