But autonomy still far away as utilisation remains limited, report finds
The adoption of agentic AI tools in Singapore has more than doubled in 2026, according to a new report, which warned that autonomy remains out of reach due to how the technology is being utilised.
ServiceNow's findings in a global poll that included 200 leaders in Singapore showed that 51% of organisations in the city-state have deployed agentic AI, more than double from the 22% recorded in 2025.
Agentic AI tools refer to autonomous AI systems that are designed to take actions without human input at each step, ServiceNow said.
Despite this capability, only 10% of Singapore employers have redesigned processes where AI completes multi-step business tasks end-to-end.
A third of employers deploying agentic AI said they are using the technology to assist employees with day-to-day tasks, while another 18% said they have made no progress on advanced AI adoption at all.
The report warned that employers are staying at the "shallowest stage" of AI adoption by keeping its utilisation at assistance-level.
"The gap between adoption and execution represents significant unrealised returns," ServiceNow's fact sheet read.
Singapore's AI maturity score
This gap is also an area where Singapore falls behind when it comes to its AI maturity score.
The ServiceNow report revealed that Singapore's maturity has rebounded to 53 points out of 100 in 2026, above the global average of 51.
This is a 19-point increase in Singapore's AI maturity score, following an 11-point drop to a low of 34 in 2025.
The rebound comes as the country gets ahead of its global peers on the structural foundations of AI, with more enterprises in the country replacing legacy technology systems with modern platforms.
More Singaporean firms have also implemented formal processes in place for testing, auditing, and managing AI risk, and more in the country are integrating AI workflows across business functions.
Its investment trajectory is also tracking closely with the global average, with budgets up 108% year-on-year, similar to the 110% recorded globally.
Some 15.4% of IT budgets in Singapore are also now allocated to AI, and are projected to reach approximately 20% by 2027.
When it comes to AI spend, 83% of Singaporean firms are projecting an increase next year, ahead of the global forecast of 81%.
What Singapore lacks is the integration of AI into day-to-day operations, which the report noted is an area where returns compound the most.
"Singapore is investing at almost the same pace as the global average," said CK Tan, APJ Innovation Officer at ServiceNow, in a statement.
"The issue is where the next dollar goes. Singapore is ahead on foundations, but weaker on embedding AI into daily operations. If the next wave of investment goes mainly into tools rather than workflow redesign, the maturity gap will widen instead of close."
