AI agents can be teammates but not managers, according to new survey
Employees in Singapore are drawing a firm line when it comes to the role of AI agents in the workplace, with a new report revealing they do not want these technologies acting as their boss
Workday's latest global poll showed that 79% of organisations in Singapore are already deploying or have begun operating AI agents in their workplace.
Four in five employees in Singapore are highly comfortable with AI agents working alongside them, and 90% even agreed that the technology will help them get more work done.
"We're entering a new era of work in Singapore where AI is an incredible partner to organisations today, complementing human judgement, leadership, and empathy," said Jess O'Reilly, general manager, ASEAN, Workday, in a statement.
Clear boundaries needed
However, employees want clear boundaries on the role of AI agents in the workplace.
Most Singaporeans consider AI agents as important teammates, but not full members of the workforce, according to the report, with only eight per cent of the respondents saying they are comfortable with an AI agent managing them.
Just 24% of employees are also comfortable with the technology operating in the background without human knowledge, with trust levels in the technology depending strongly on the task.
AI agents for skills development saw the highest trust rating with 50%, while the lowest trust levels were recorded in the following:
- Hiring (15%)
- Finance (23%)
- Legal matters (13%)
"To drive productivity and trust, it is important that we rely on AI as a partner rather than a leader," O'Reilly said. "To do so, Singaporean organisations need to be intentional in how AI is used and keep people at the centre of every decision."
