# Google, Temasek and Bain project Southeast Asia’s digital economy at $368 billion in 2026

- Published: 2026-10-21T04:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-21T10:05:39.411Z
- Section: Market
- Topics: Agents, Business
- Page: https://aidailyjournal.com/en/n/2026/10/21/google-temasek-and-bain-project-southeast-asia-s-digital-economy-at-368-billion/
- Sources: [Google AI Blog](https://blog.google/company-news/inside-google/around-the-globe/google-asia/e-conomy-sea-report-2026)

## Summary

A report by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company projects 17% annual growth for Southeast Asia’s digital economy, taking it to $368 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2026 and above $1 trillion by 2035. The study says generative AI is already used by 243 million people—58% of the working population—and is spreading four times faster than mobile internet.

The report projects regional AI usage will rise 60-fold over the next five years, driven by confidence in agentic commerce. Seventy-five percent of users say they would be willing to let AI agents compare prices and complete transactions autonomously. They expect privacy safeguards, transparency about AI capabilities and the ability to reverse transactions before adopting these tools more broadly.

## Why it matters (editorial interpretation)

Google, Temasek and Bain’s projections link Southeast Asia’s digital-economy expansion to generative AI adoption and agent-led commerce. The 75% user willingness to delegate transactions—conditional on privacy, transparency and reversibility—highlights practical requirements for broader adoption.

_Summary written by AI Daily Journal in its own words, based on the sources above. For details, read the original articles._