{"asset":"news","key":"10327","locale":"en","id":"news:10327:en","entityId":"news:10327","canonicalUrl":"https://www.kps-tv.com/en/news/detail/10327","state":"ready","title":"Southeast Asia's digital economy projected to reach $368 billion in 2026 as AI drives growth","summary":"The e-Conomy SEA report projects Southeast Asia's digital economy at $368 billion in 2026, about 17% above 2025, with AI supporting growth across major sectors.","body":"Despite global geopolitical tensions and economic challenges, Southeast Asia's digital economy continues to expand rapidly and is projected to reach US$368 billion by the end of 2026.\n\nAccording to the annual e-Conomy SEA report released on October 21, this represents growth of about 17% from US$315 billion in 2025. The report covers ten countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.\nThe report describes the region's digital economy as resilient, with regional GDP growth remaining between 4% and 5%, above the 3.1% global growth forecast attributed to the International Monetary Fund.\n\nArtificial intelligence, described in the original article as a double-edged sword, is driving growth across major sectors. E-commerce stands at US$226 billion, online travel at US$59 billion, online media at US$44 billion, and transport and food delivery at US$40 billion.\n\nInvestor interest in the region's AI infrastructure has also risen sharply. In the first half of 2026, private investment in data centres reached US$16.3 billion, approximately 16 times the US$1 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.\nBy TOUCH SOVANRITHY","contentScope":"full","proof":{"publishedSourceRevision":"1","publishedWorkingVersionId":"13402","languageVersionId":"6906","visibilityVersion":"3","versionToken":"a1.jPvuQ3nom80bjZjYXZaEFoXavakFYmbs26hXvK9uJsM"},"availableLocales":["zh","en","km"],"attributes":{"sourceLocale":"km","translationKind":"machine","nodeId":"12","authorText":"","sourceName":""},"references":[],"links":[],"publishedAt":"2026-10-22T06:48:28Z"}