Lazada’s latest report reveals a significant gap between AI awareness and actual adoption among Southeast Asian eCommerce sellers, especially in Malaysia. To address this, Lazada is rolling out AI-powered tools and a readiness playbook to help sellers better integrate AI into their business operations.
MALAYSIA, 10 APRIL 2025 – While 69% of Malaysian online sellers report being familiar with AI—close to the regional average of 68%—actual implementation lags behind. Malaysian sellers estimate AI is integrated into 30% of their operations, but real usage is only at 26%. This discrepancy illustrates a wider perception gap in AI adoption.
The research highlights that although 89% of sellers in Southeast Asia believe AI boosts productivity, only 77% of Malaysian sellers agree. Furthermore, cost and complexity remain major barriers—64% of Malaysian respondents cite these as key challenges, despite 87% believing that AI can lead to long-term savings.
Lazada’s findings classify sellers into three AI-readiness archetypes:
- AI Adepts: Sellers using AI in 80% or more of operations (only 15% in Malaysia, below the SEA average of 24%)
- AI Aspirants: Partial adopters who still face implementation gaps (43% in Malaysia)
- AI Agnostics: Sellers with minimal AI use, mostly manual processes (42% in Malaysia, nearly double the regional average)
Malaysia and the Philippines trail behind regional leaders like Thailand and Singapore in AI integration, with 85% of Malaysian sellers falling into the Aspirant or Agnostic categories. This signals a critical need for tools, training, and support tailored to local sellers’ challenges.
To address this gap, Lazada is launching the Online Sellers Artificial Intelligence Readiness Playbook, offering guidance based on sellers’ maturity levels in adopting AI. Alongside this, Lazada is introducing a suite of Generative AI (GenAI) features:
- AI Smart Product Optimisation: Enhances product listings with title, description, and image improvements.
- AI-Powered Translations: Automatically localizes product content for multilingual markets.
- Lazzie Seller: An AI assistant that helps sellers with real-time advice, navigation, and store risk assessments.
“With this report, we’re seeing a clear trend—while the awareness of AI’s potential is high, actual adoption remains limited,” said James Dong, CEO of Lazada Group. “Our goal is to make AI accessible and practical for all sellers, empowering them to grow efficiently, regardless of their technical expertise.”
