Singapore Workers Most Sceptical About AI in Southeast Asia - And They Have a Point ADP surveyed 39,000 working adults across 36 markets.

The findings for Southeast Asia are striking. In Vietnam, 29% of workers strongly agreed that AI would have a positive effect on their job responsibilities.

Thailand and Indonesia came in at 23%. The Philippines at 19%. Singapore landed last at 15%. Singapore workers are also the most worried in the region about job displacement. Only 15% strongly agreed their jobs are safe from AI - the lowest in Southeast Asia.

The temptation is to read this as resistance to change. It isn't. The gap between Vietnam's optimism and Singapore's scepticism isn't about enthusiasm for technology. It's about expectations. Singapore's workforce operates in a mature, highly competitive market.

They've been exposed to more technology, more demos, more promises. They've also seen more tools that underdeliver. The ADP data supports this reading. Globally, workers who use AI are four times more likely to report feeling less productive compared to non-users. Adoption doesn't equal value. Using a tool doesn't mean it's helping.

For SME owners, the takeaway is practical. Your staff don't need AI that impresses. They need AI that saves time on the tasks they already do - reconciliation, invoicing, reporting, data entry. The boring stuff. The stuff that eats hours every week.

When AI quietly handles the routine work, scepticism fades. Not because of a presentation or a demo. Because the workday got shorter.

Source: The Business Times, 18 Jun 2026

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/asean/vietnam-workers-keenest-ai-south-east-asia-singapore-employees-among-most-sceptical-survey