Singapore Businesses Struggle to Implement AI Amid Worker Expectations

Singapore has been at the forefront of adopting new technologies, but its businesses may be lagging behind in implementing artificial intelligence (AI) within their workplaces. A Salesforce survey found that 97% of workers in Southeast Asia expect to work with AI agents, yet only 32% receive company training on how to use them.

The challenge is not resistance to AI, but rather uncertainty over what it means for individual workers and the skills they will need to work alongside it. Businesses must prepare their people and rethink how work gets done, going beyond experimenting with the technology.

AI adoption requires progress in three areas: workforce skills, redesigned workflows, and trust. Companies must develop employees who can combine professional expertise with an understanding of AI application, review job scopes and team structures, and redesign processes to leverage human judgment and interaction. They must also establish governance and controls for AI systems, particularly with large language models.

The shift towards agentic AI is a generational change in the nature of work, with implications for Singapore's economy due to its small domestic labour force and ageing population. Businesses that remain stuck in experimentation risk missing productivity gains and opportunities to prepare their workforce for this broader change already underway.