Workday, Inc., the global artificial intelligence (AI) platform, has on Wednesday released new global research that shows that while AI agents are gaining ground in the workplace in Singapore, employees still want clear boundaries.
According to the report “AI Agents Are Here – But Don’t Call Them Boss”, 83 percent of workers in Singapore are comfortable teaming up with AI agents — but only 8 percent say they are comfortable being managed by one.
This signals a key challenge for businesses: how to embrace the power of AI without losing the human touch.
The research highlights that widespread optimism is driving the rapid adoption of AI agents into core operations among Singaporean businesses, particularly in finance and human resource.
In fact, 79 percent of organizations here are already rolling out AI agents or have begun operating them.
At the same time, employees are drawing a line between how they are and are not willing to work with AI.
Ethical, security, and governance concerns remain the primary barriers to broader adoption, far outweighing technical or financial challenges.
This is particularly evident in sensitive areas like finance and compliance, highlighting a need for robust regulation and human oversight.
“We’re entering a new era of work in Singapore where AI is an incredible partner to organizations today, complementing human judgement, leadership, and empathy,
“To drive productivity and trust, it is important that we rely on AI as a partner rather than a leader. To do so, Singaporean organizations need to be intentional in how AI is used and keep people at the center of every decision,” said Jess O’Reilly, general manager, ASEAN, Workday.
The report also showed four in five Singapore employees are highly comfortable with AI agents working alongside them and recommending new skills — but only 8 percent are comfortable with an AI agent managing them.
A mere 24 percent are comfortable with AI agents operating in the background without human knowledge.
Thus, establishing clear boundaries for AI is key to building employee trust and driving greater adoption.
While skepticism remains about AI agents surpassing human intelligence or management capabilities in the near term, nearly 90 percent of employees in Singapore believe AI agents will help them get more done.
At the same time, many are also concerned that these productivity gains will lead to a decline in critical thinking (50 percent) and decline in the quality of human interaction (33 percent).
This underscores the need for thoughtful implementation that prioritizes employee well-being.
While workers in Singapore recognize the productivity benefits of AI agents, the report highlighted that they remain cautious about granting AI agents autonomy in high-stakes or sensitive areas.
All respondents indicated that some form of regulation is required, with a majority in support of having ethical guidelines set by developers (57 percent) and strict human oversight (48 percent).
Meanwhile, most respondents in Singapore see agents as important teammates, but not full members of the workforce.
Trust in AI also depends on the task. It’s highest for skills development (50 percent) and lowest for sensitive areas like hiring (15 percent), finance (23 percent), and legal matters (13 percent), underscoring the need for human oversight and accountability.
With the industry facing a shortage of CPAs and finance professionals, more than three-quarters (72 percent) of finance workers in Singapore believe AI agents will help close the gap and only 11 percent are worried about job loss.
The top uses for AI agents in Finance include financial reporting (33 percent), forecasting and budgeting (28 percent), and fraud detection (22 percent).
This research underscores a crucial path forward: to harness the potential of AI, Singapore organizations must focus on building trust through transparency and empowering their people.
“This isn’t just about deploying new technology. It’s about thoughtfully designing a future where AI agents enhance human capabilities, enabling a more productive and fulfilling work experience for all,” it concluded.
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