A joint study by Lazada and Kantar revealed that half of e-commerce sellers in Indonesia have yet to fully optimize artificial intelligence (AI) in their business operations. According to the report, 50% of these sellers fall into the “AI Aspirants” category—businesses that have partially integrated AI but still face adoption gaps in key functions.

Manual Processes Still Common Among One-Fifth of Sellers

The research further shows that 21% of Indonesian e-commerce sellers continue to operate manually. These sellers are categorized as “AI Agnostics,” a group that has yet to adopt AI in most parts of their business.

AI Usage Claims Exceed Actual Implementation

While 52% of sellers claim to have adopted AI, only 42% are actively using the technology in practice. This discrepancy indicates that actual AI usage in Indonesia remains lower than reported.

AI Adepts Are in the Minority

Sellers who belong to the “AI Adepts” group—defined as businesses using AI in over 80% of operations—represent a small segment of the e-commerce ecosystem. The report suggests that such advanced AI users remain limited across the Indonesian market.

Lazada CEO Urges Stronger Support for Low-Adoption Areas

“Our findings reveal a gap in Southeast Asia’s e-commerce ecosystem. Although many sellers recognize AI’s transformative potential, many are still transitioning to the implementation stage,” said James Dong, CEO of Lazada Group, in a press release.

He added that greater support is needed in business functions with low AI adoption rates, particularly in operations and logistics, to maintain Indonesia’s position in Southeast Asia’s AI development.

Indonesia and Vietnam Lead AI Use in the Region

According to the report, Indonesia and Vietnam are ahead in Southeast Asia with 42% AI adoption across various business functions. They are followed by Singapore and Thailand, each recording a 39% adoption rate.

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This article was created with AI assistance.