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.

The post Singapore workers ready for AI, but only 6% use it daily: study appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.

Surveying more than 700 business leaders, 64% said they are already using AI consistently across daily workflows. 

Yet only 18% have implemented fully autonomous AI agents capable of making decisions and executing tasks end-to-end—highlighting a significant drop-off as complexity increases.

The contrast underscores what may be the most striking finding: while AI is now commonplace in day-to-day operations, only a small fraction of businesses are unlocking its full potential.

The report points to growing friction as companies attempt to scale. 

Trust and reliability concerns were cited by 43% of respondents, making it the top barrier, followed by data quality and integration challenges at 37%. These issues are becoming more acute among businesses that have already advanced their AI usage.

Notably, around 43% of respondents expect AI agents to become highly important to their operations within the next 12 to 24 months, although only 28% are currently investing in them. A further 30% said that clearer proof of business outcomes would influence their decision to invest.

When asked what is needed to make AI agents effective, business leaders pointed to accuracy and reliability (66%) as the most critical factor, followed by system integration (56%), governance (53%), and access to relevant business context and data (48%).

The post Only 18% of Singapore firms use advanced AI despite widespread adoption: report appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.

According to the data, most people (62%) in the regions said they were excited for the products and services that use AI; interest is greatest in China (80%), Indonesia (76%), Thailand (76%) and South Korea (73%). 

However, English-speaking countries, including Australia and New Zealand, feel the need for caution with the approach to AI – just 39% of Aussies and 43% of Kiwis said they were excited for the technology. Both countries are more likely to feel trepidation about AI, with 66% of New Zealanders and 64% of Australians saying AI makes them nervous. 

Meanwhile, most people across APAC (66%) said AI would change how they do their job in the next five years. Indonesia (87%), Thailand (81%) and China (80%) are the most likely to say AI will change how they do their job. At least half of Australians think AI will change their job – 16% said it was very likely to affect their work, while 34% said it was somewhat likely. 

However, more Aussies think AI will improve their job (29%) than those who think it will make it worse (20%). Just under half (46%) expect it to make the job market worse. 

Moreover, Indonesia is leading the charge in understanding AI – 86% of those surveyed said they understand it. In Australia, 63% said they had a good understanding of AI. The figure is lower than the global average of 67%. 

Hamish Munro, CEO for APEC at Ipsos, said, “People are still firmly divided over whether AI will be a friend or foe in the coming years. Across the APAC region, Asian countries are leading the charge for embracing the technology, showing both a strong understanding and excitement about the technology. English-speaking countries, including Australia and New Zealand, remain sceptical about AI, particularly its impact on their day-to-day life and employment.”

The post Asia is the most excited region about a future with AI, yet ANZ remains cautious appeared first on MARKETECH APAC.