The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is transforming ASEAN Member States (AMS). Its rapid technological advancements are influencing political, economic, and social spheres at all levels. While the 4IR embraces technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain, this study examines the 4IR as an impetus to significant societal changes and focuses on the effects and impacts it and its technologies will have on marginalised and vulnerable groups.
In the past, AMS have predominantly skewed support for 4IR technology adoption towards economic purposes. However, the 4IR is not only a technological shift: it is a social transformation that reshapes how citizens live and work. To understand this transformation and how to harness it for social as well as economic benefit, it is important for policymakers to look at the broader socio-economic aspects of each AMS and the ASEAN region to see how policy can address the socio-economic challenges of 4IR technologies and ensure that no one is left behind.
