SINGAPORE – December 13, 2024 – Singapore continues to lead in AI adoption, with 52% of its workforce integrating AI into their daily tasks and 53% expressing enthusiasm about AI’s potential to automate routine jobs, according to the latest findings from Slack’s Workforce Index. However, challenges persist as workers express hesitancy and discomfort in openly discussing their AI usage.
While global AI adoption rates have seen a marginal increase—rising from 32% to 36% over the past three months—Singapore’s proactive approach highlights its ambition to remain a key player in the AI-driven economy.
Breaking Barriers: Unveiling the Hesitation Around AI Usage
Despite the optimism, 45% of workers in Singapore feel uncomfortable admitting AI usage to their managers, citing fears of being perceived as:
- Less competent
- Lazy
- Engaging in “cheating”
This underlying hesitation stems from a lack of clear guidance on when and how AI should be used in professional settings. Globally, workers who are comfortable discussing AI usage are 67% more likely to utilize the technology effectively.
Aligning Expectations: Leadership vs. Workforce Priorities
A disparity exists between what leaders expect from AI integration and how employees plan to use their newfound time. Executives envision a focus on innovation and upskilling, but employees lean towards completing existing tasks and administrative work.
Top priorities for executives include:
- Skill-building and learning
- Innovation
- Strategic business development
Employees in Singapore expect AI to help them:
- Focus on core projects
- Manage administrative tasks
- Begin upskilling
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Urgent Need for AI Training and Support
The data emphasizes the growing demand for AI-skilling opportunities among Singapore’s workforce. 88% of workers feel an urgency to become proficient in AI, yet 63% have spent less than five hours on AI training, often due to limited employer initiatives.
Christina Janzer, SVP of Research and Analytics at Slack, underscores the role of leadership:
“Too much of the burden today has been put on workers to figure out AI. It’s important that leaders not only train workers to use AI but encourage employees to talk about it and experiment with AI out in the open. The arrival of AI agents – with clearly defined roles and guidelines – will also help with this, alleviating the ambiguity and anxiety many workers feel around using AI at work.”
Employer Readiness: A Key Attraction Factor
Singaporean employees now factor AI-readiness into their job search, with 87% stating that access to AI tools and training influences their career decisions. Globally, new entrants to the workforce are 1.8x more likely to value AI enablement as a critical component of job selection.
Companies with clear AI adoption strategies are witnessing accelerated integration, with a 13 percentage point increase in adoption rates globally for those offering structured guidance. In contrast, adoption only increased by 2 percentage points in organizations without clear AI guidelines.
The Way Forward: Bridging the Gap
To fully unlock AI’s potential, companies must focus on fostering a culture of transparency and innovation. Offering accessible training, promoting open discussions around AI usage, and equipping workers with the right tools can pave the way for a future-ready workforce.
For more insights into Slack’s Workforce Index and Salesforce’s AI initiatives, visit www.salesforce.com.
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