Seven in ten Singapore workers frustrated with AI tools, survey shows

Singapore – Artificial intelligence may be one of the most talked-about technologies in Singapore’s offices, but most workers say it is not living up to the hype. 

A new survey by Notion shows that 70% of white-collar workers feel frustrated with current AI tools, with nearly three-quarters (72%) saying outputs require significant editing or fact-checking.

The report highlights a clear mismatch between expectation and experience. Almost half (49%) of respondents said their tools only meet daily needs “somewhat well.” 

Their top frustrations include generic outputs lacking originality (35%), the need to manually copy and paste results into other tools (28%), and systems that answer questions without taking meaningful action (23%).

Even so, the optimism remains with 78% of professionals in Singapore believing that AI has long-term potential, though just a third currently feel it frees up time for creative, strategic or meaningful work.

In response to these frustrations, Notion has launched AI Agents, a new class of AI built into its connected workspace. 

Unlike earlier tools, the agents are designed to complete multi-step workflows and finish tasks end-to-end.

“The initial excitement for AI is now meeting the reality of daily work, and what we’re hearing from professionals in Singapore is that it’s creating a ‘productivity tax,’” said Andrew McCarthy, GM of ANZ, SEA and India at Notion. 

“Instead of saving time, they are spending it correcting, fact-checking, and moving information between siloed tools,” he added. 

Further contextualizing, McCarthy stressed, “Consolidation isn’t just a cost strategy; it’s a clarity strategy and we’re launching AI Agents not just as a new feature but as a new kind of teammate that can work on a team’s behalf, taking on the tedious tasks so professionals can reallocate their time to the things that matter most: strategy, creativity, and human connection.”

Notion’s user base in Singapore has already passed one million since its launch earlier this year, part of its global momentum that recently pushed annual revenue beyond US$500 million.