This paper analyzes the policy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding the adaptation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to its principal prospective project - the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). It examines the salient features of the ASEAN integration model, of which the AEC is a central component, traces the evolution of ASEANs digital initiatives, and assesses their outcomes. The paper outlines the AI-related policy directions pursued by the Association and its member states in synergy with the AECs development. Special attention is given to the vulnerability factors of the AEC in the context of its AI agenda. The author argues that the successful implementation of the AECs AI-related initiatives is impeded by the mutually reinforcing shortcomings of ASEANs digital and non-digital integration. This multiplier effect is further exacerbated by the rapid advancement of AI systems and technologies, as well as by ASEANs limited capacity to effectively formulate and implement an AI agenda amidst significant disparities in readiness among its member states. In the author’s view, ASEAN faces a strategic zugzwang: both accelerating the development of its AI agenda and deferring it are likely to increase the region’s dependence on extra-regional partners. The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating general scientific, specialized scientific, and disciplinary methods. Given that this specific perspective has not been the subject of focused attention in Russian or international scholarship - and that related aspects have only been explored sporadically and in a fragmented manner - the article presents a clear contribution in terms of academic novelty, relevance, and practical significance.