What makes a good AI rollout scheme?
Corporate rollouts of AI tools are falling short in Singapore, undermining the widespread willingness of employees there to adopt the technology, according to a new report.
Findings released by Salesforce revealed that just 29% of Singapore's desk workers identify as AI sceptics.
This is lower than the global average of 37%, and lower than the 53% recorded in the United States, United Kingdom, and France, making Singapore one of the least sceptical markets on AI globally.
Despite the strong willingness in the workforce, Singapore's AI adoption is falling behind other markets in the report.
Only 6% of desk workers in the Southeast Asian country said AI is a core part of their daily work, among the lowest globally and nearly half the global average of 11%.
"Singapore workers are not standing in the way of AI – they're waiting for AI that works for them," said Paul Carvouni, SVP & GM, ASEAN, Salesforce.
AI rollout schemes fall short
The poor AI adoption levels in Singapore are being blamed on disappointing AI pilots rolled out by employers.
Nearly a third of respondents in Singapore (31%) said they have experienced unsuccessful AI pilots, with the disappointment stemming from:
- Generic output (40%)
- Low trust in output (30%)
- Results lacking business context (30%)
"While workers' enthusiasm towards AI is a head start, poor pilots are leaving real business potential on the table," Carvouni said.
What makes a good AI rollout?
Carvouni said leaders must move past generic tools and use AI that is trusted, grounded in business context, and built into daily work.
"Do that, and adoption will not just follow. It becomes a competitive advantage for Singapore and the region," he said.
Salesforce's global findings revealed that firms that were successful in AI adoption were not successful just because employees were enthusiastic over the tools.
Instead, the success was due to the "ecosystem" built around the AI tools, including role-specific training, AI embedded into existing workflows, and non-negotiable data security.
"For Singapore business leaders, the data makes a compelling case: the barrier to AI adoption is not cultural reluctance but a delivery gap," the report read.
"Closing the gap requires moving from experimentation to execution and advancing contextual, trustworthy AI experiences that Singapore's workforce has already signalled it is ready for."
