AI Ready ASEAN is a flagship digital initiative by the ASEAN Foundation, made possible through a generous USD 5 million grant from Google.org, with the goal of significantly boosting AI literacy across all ten ASEAN Member States. Launched in 2024 and running for 2.5 years, the programme aims to equip ASEAN citizens, particularly youth, educators, parents, and underserved communities, with the knowledge and skills needed to understand, use, and engage critically with AI in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

At the heart of the programme is a diverse set of strategic activities designed to create lasting impact. These include:

• Training-of-Trainers: Empowering 2,000 master trainers who will cascade AI literacy to over 800,000 community members across the region.
• Regional Research: Generating evidence-based insights to inform curriculum development and policymaking.
• E-Learning Platform Development: Creating an accessible, multilingual digital learning hub tailored to local contexts, making AI education widely available.
• Policy Dialogues: Bringing together policymakers, tech experts, and civil society to align national priorities with responsible AI governance.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: Raising consciousness on the ethical, social, and economic dimensions of AI, encouraging informed and inclusive public discourse.

AI Ready ASEAN promotes responsible AI use, emphasising principles of ethics, fairness, transparency, and digital inclusion. Implementation will be carried out in close partnership with local organisations across ASEAN, ensuring that training and learning materials are contextually relevant, culturally sensitive, and accessible to all.

Ultimately, AI Ready ASEAN supports the broader goals of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 and the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, strengthening the region’s capacity to harness AI for sustainable development. By the end of the programme, it aims to reach 5.5 million people, creating a future-ready generation empowered to shape and thrive in the AI-driven world.