Singapore workers use AI often, but few see clear job benefits

Artificial intelligence has become a regular workplace tool for many workers in Singapore, but frequent use has yet to translate into strong confidence that it will improve their jobs, according to ADP Research’s People at Work 2026 findings.

The report found that 56% of workers in Singapore use AI at least multiple times a week, while 23% use it nearly daily. Yet only 15% strongly agree that AI will positively affect their job responsibilities in the next year.

The findings point to a gap between usage and perceived value. Workers are already using AI in their daily routines, but many remain less certain about how the technology will affect their responsibilities, productivity and role at work.

AI use is rising faster than perceived value

ADP Research found a similar pattern globally. Half of workers surveyed use AI at least multiple times a week, with 20% using it nearly daily.

Frequent users also reported some positive workplace signals. Globally, 30% of daily AI users said they felt fully engaged, while 11% reported experiencing negative stress, compared with 23% of non-users.

At the same time, daily AI users were four times more likely than non-users to feel less productive. ADP Research said this suggests frequent users may feel they have achieved less as AI becomes more integrated into their daily work.

Jessica Zhang, Senior Vice President of APAC at ADP, said, “AI is reshaping how work gets done, but adoption alone does not guarantee meaningful workplace impact in Singapore. Workers need to build both skills and familiarity with AI tools while understanding how these technologies fit into their day-to-day workflows. This enables them to identify where AI can drive real productivity gains and, in turn, focus more of their time on work that requires human judgement, creativity, and meaningful connections with others.”

For employers, Zhang added, the findings point to a need for training and clearer performance expectations. She said organisations should define how employees create value in an AI-enabled workplace, so workers can use the tools with more confidence and focus on higher-value contributions.

Mid-sized firms lead daily AI use

AI adoption also varies across organisations of different sizes in Singapore. Mid-sized organisations, defined as those with 250 to 999 employees, recorded the highest daily AI usage, with 34% of workers using the technology daily.

Daily usage was lower among workers in small organisations with 1 to 249 employees and large enterprises with more than 1,000 employees, both at 19%.

Yvonne Teo, Vice President of HR, APAC at ADP, said Singapore’s workforce is becoming more confident about AI and its role in the workplace, but organisations still face the challenge of scaling its use effectively.

“Smaller firms may benefit from greater access to practical and cost-effective AI tools, while larger organisations may need to simplify processes and adopt more agile ways of working to scale usage effectively. Mid-sized organisations often show what is possible with the right balance of resources and agility. This highlights an opportunity to close adoption gaps so that the benefits of AI are realised more consistently across Singapore’s economy.”

ADP Research also found that only 10% of workers in Singapore are unsure about how AI could change their jobs, down from 19% the previous year. That suggests uncertainty is falling, even though stronger confidence in AI’s direct job benefits remains limited.

Job type and age affect AI sentiment

Perceptions of AI differ by type of work. Knowledge workers were the most optimistic group, with 22% strongly agreeing that AI will positively affect their job responsibilities. That compares with 11% of skilled task workers and 7% of repetitive task workers.

Daily AI use in Singapore is also not concentrated only among younger workers. Employees aged 27 to 39 were the heaviest daily users at 25%, followed by those aged 40 to 54 at 23%. Among workers aged 18 to 26, daily usage stood at 20%.

The findings are based on ADP Research’s 2025 Global Workforce Survey, which polled more than 39,000 working adults across 36 markets between 21 July and 4 August 2025.