Marketing Southeast Asia

Singapore workers ready for AI, but only 6% use it daily: study

by Sharona Nicole Semilla

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July 9, 2026

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Singapore – Singapore’s desk workers are among the world’s least sceptical about artificial intelligence, yet only a small proportion use it as a core part of their daily work, according to new research from Salesforce.

The survey of more than 1,500 desk workers across four continents found that just 29% of respondents in Singapore identify as AI sceptics, compared with the global average of 37%.

Despite this openness, only 6% said AI is central to their day-to-day work—almost half the global average of 11%.

The findings highlight what Salesforce describes as an “adoption paradox”, where employees are willing to embrace AI, but workplace implementation has failed to keep pace.

Among respondents in Singapore who experienced unsuccessful AI pilots, 40% said the tools produced generic outputs—the highest proportion among all markets surveyed and well above the global average of 30%.

Meanwhile, 38% cited a lack of trust in AI-generated responses, while 30% said the tools lacked sufficient business context.

According to the research, these findings suggest that organisations are falling short in deploying AI that delivers relevant, accurate and context-aware support for employees.

The study also examined more than 500 workers globally who had successfully integrated AI into their daily work. It found that successful adoption was typically supported by role-specific training, AI embedded into existing workflows, and strong data security measures.

Paul Carvouni, Senior Vice President and General Manager for ASEAN at Salesforce, said organisations need to move beyond experimentation and focus on delivering AI that fits naturally into employees’ work.

“Singapore workers are not standing in the way of AI—they’re waiting for AI that works for them. While workers’ enthusiasm towards AI is a head start, poor pilots are leaving real business potential on the table,” he said.

He added that businesses need AI tools that are grounded in business context and trusted by employees if they want adoption to become a competitive advantage.