Only 29 percent of Singapore desk workers identify as AI sceptics, well below the global average of 37 percent and significantly lower than 53 percent in the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

However, just 6 percent say AI is a core part of their daily work, nearly half the global average of 11 percent, according to a survey of more than 1,500 desk workers across four continents, conducted by workplace innovation Salesforce.

The gap between attitude and action is explained not by reluctance but by disappointment with corporate rollouts. Among the 31 percent of Singapore workers who experienced unsuccessful AI pilots, 40 percent cited generic outputs as a reason for failure, the highest of any market surveyed and ten percentage points above the global average of 30 percent. Some 38 percent flagged low trust in outputs versus a global average of 28 percent, while 30 percent said results lacked business context against a global average of 22 percent.

The research also identified more than 500 workers globally who successfully moved from initial pilots to deep daily usage. The key to transition is the ecosystem around the tools, including role-specific training, AI embedded into existing workflows, and non-negotiable data security.

Salesforce cited insurer Singlife, the first company in Singapore to adopt its Agentforce platform, as an example. By grounding its AI agent in the company’s own product manuals, training guides, and FAQs, Singlife’s customer service executives now receive accurate, sourced answers almost instantly instead of manually sifting through documents.

Paul Carvouni, SVP and GM for ASEAN at Salesforce, said Singapore workers are not standing in the way of AI but waiting for AI that works for them. He said leaders must move past generic tools and use AI that is trusted, grounded in business context, and built into daily work.

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