The rapid rise of artificial intelligence across industries has triggered waves of anxiety and anticipation among workers worldwide, including in Thailand. A recent investigation into global tech sector layoffs and the evolving job landscape makes clear that artificial intelligence is not only changing the future of work—it is accelerating its arrival. With major global players citing AI as both a reason for workforce cuts and a driver of new opportunities, the question for Thai readers is urgent: will AI replace you, or take you to the next level?
Recent stories from the international tech sector shed light on the magnitude of the shift underway. In June 2025, a long-serving Google employee—after more than a dozen years with the company—was laid off while on maternity leave, an experience emblematic of growing anxiety within technology circles as AI-driven efficiencies put longstanding roles at risk (MSN). Microsoft, meanwhile, announced mass layoffs, especially in sales departments, as it redirected investment into artificial intelligence projects (Daily Mail). So far in 2025, more than 22,000 tech jobs have been cut globally in a single quarter, continuing a trend already evident in 2024, when over 150,000 roles vanished across technology giants (TechCrunch).
Why is this happening now? Amazon’s CEO recently explained that AI is poised to revolutionize almost every field, allowing “AI agents” to automate tasks from web research and writing code to translating language and finding data anomalies. As these agents proliferate, they render many current jobs obsolete, while creating a market for new, specialized roles (GovTech). “We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs … and more people doing other types of jobs,” he explained in an internal message cited widely in U.S. media.
This trend is mirrored outside the Western world. In China, a pair of interactive AI avatars recently amassed more than US$7 million for a single livestream, surpassing the revenue generated when equivalent sessions were hosted by a human entrepreneur, a sign that digital “influencers” may outperform their flesh-and-blood peers in entertainment and e-commerce (CNBC).
Yet while headlines largely focus on layoffs and replaced workers, a surge of recent research offers qualified hope. Rather than simply destroying jobs, AI is rapidly spawning new opportunities that demand emerging skills. The World Economic Forum predicts that AI-related advances will actually add more jobs than they eliminate by 2025, projecting that more than 97 million new roles will be created, especially in areas like robotics, predictive maintenance, logistics, and manufacturing optimization (Edison & Black). McKinsey’s latest report, updated for 2024, echoes this forecast, stressing the need for reskilling and adaptability as critical for tech workers globally (McKinsey).
For Thailand, these global shifts carry significant implications. As home to Southeast Asia’s second-largest digital economy, the country faces heightened risk of both job displacement and untapped opportunity. Thai tech professionals, educators, and government planners will need to move fast to ensure workers are not left behind. In interviews with the Bangkok Post, senior officials from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society have repeatedly emphasized the need for integrating AI skills into school curricula and for subsidizing upskilling courses for mid-career workers across IT, manufacturing, and service industries. One policy expert at Chulalongkorn University notes: “AI is set to transform not only the capital’s business clusters, but also SMEs and the rural workforce, where automation can optimize agriculture, logistics, and tourism.”
As Thailand’s competitive edge rests on both affordable labor and emerging tech savvy, the need for lifelong learning is especially acute. Filling skills gaps—especially in areas like data management, AI system oversight, and digital content moderation—is necessary to ensure that local professionals can “ride the AI wave” rather than be swept aside. The government’s Digital Economy Master Plan includes ambitious targets for nationwide STEM education and smart manufacturing, but recent field studies by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) show that a substantial portion of small-business owners remain unaware of how AI might affect their industry (TDRI). Experts recommend urgent collaboration between universities, technical colleges, and industry bodies to develop relevant digital certification and apprenticeship programs.
Culturally, the issue resonates deeply. The tradition of “เส้นสาย” (personal networks) still plays a significant role in career advancement across Thai workplaces, but as AI systems become more central in recruitment and performance evaluation, personal connections may lose ground to demonstrated technical proficiency. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity: those who adapt early will be well placed to advance, regardless of background or age. One vocational education leader says, “It’s no longer enough to have a connection—Thai workers need proof of adaptability, creativity, and digital literacy.”
Looking to the future, the balance between AI-driven efficiency and job security is likely to become a political as well as an economic flashpoint in Thailand, especially as the younger generation weighs the promise and peril of automation. The country’s robust tourism, farming, health, and even cultural sectors—traditionally resistant to automation—are now seeing experiments with AI-powered chatbots, remote diagnosis tools, yield prediction models, and even virtual museum guides (Bangkok Post). Successful deployment depends on striking a balance between cutting costs and enhancing service quality—a lesson highlighted by the success stories and missteps in other, more AI-saturated economies.
Still, the most practical advice—echoed in technology conferences from Europe to Asia—is simple but profound: “AI will not replace people, but people who use AI will replace people who don’t.” For Thailand, maintaining economic and social resilience will require workers, business leaders, and government planners to become lifelong learners, mastering emerging tools and thinking creatively about future opportunities. Whether in public service, industry, or creative arts, those who embrace upskilling will have the best chance to be promoted, not replaced.
For Thai readers, the call to action is immediate and concrete:
- If you work in a field at risk of automation, consult with professional organizations or training institutes about digital literacy and AI management courses (NECTEC, Depa).
- For career planning, prioritize skills that complement, rather than compete with, artificial intelligence: creativity, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and cross-cultural communication.
- Support policies and public investment that expand access to STEM education and mid-career upskilling, especially in rural or underserved areas.
- Stay informed about industry trends—use reputable news sources, government advisories, and sector-specific updates to anticipate, not just react to, new developments.
- Foster a mindset of lifelong learning, not merely out of fear of “replacement,” but as a means of personal and national advancement.
The rise of artificial intelligence can be daunting, but it also presents a chance for Thailand’s workforce to upskill, innovate, and lead within Asia’s rapidly digitizing landscape. The key, as research and real-world case studies suggest, is to position oneself not as a competitor to AI, but as its partner—leveraging these tools to do more, learn more, and contribute in ways machines cannot.
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