Singapore official offers three principles on how employers can consider AI use in working with people
The adoption of artificial intelligence artificial intelligence (AI) tools in recruitment should not "remove relationships" from the process, according to a Singapore official, who underscored the importance of trust as AI becomes more embedded in the HR function.
Foo Cexiang, Minister of State for Manpower, reminded employers that hiring is not simply a matching process, but the beginning of a workplace relationship.
While AI allows employers to be more efficient in the hiring process, the minister urged employers to put themselves in the position of candidates, who will be interacting with the technology in place.
"Imagine applying for a job and never meaningfully meeting anyone from the organisation. Technology processes your application. A chatbot interacts with you. An AI tool assesses you. Eventually, an automated message tells you the outcome," outcome," Foo told an audience of employers at the Best Workplaces Singapore Awards 2026.
"That may be efficient. But would it feel like a great place to work? Certainly not."
Foo told employers that interviews allow employers to understand a person behind the CV, as well as enable candidates to understand the people behind the company.
"So as companies adopt AI, I hope we hold on to a simple principle: We can let AI remove friction from recruitment. But let us never let it remove relationships from recruitment," he stated.
Impact of AI on trust
Foo used recruitment to illustrate how AI can affect trust in the workplace, telling employers that the real test of the technology is not whether it makes them more productive, but whether it makes them more trustworthy.
"Trust has always been and will always be at the heart of a great workplace. Employees want to know that they will be treated fairly. That their contribution will be recognised. That their managers will listen to them. And that decisions affecting their careers will be made fairly and responsibly," he said.
"AI does not change those expectations. But it does make us think harder about how we uphold them."
His remarks come in the wake of emerging research on how AI is impacting trust at work, particularly on how it skews perception in the hiring process.
A report from Gartner last year showed that 25% of employees globally would trust their employers less if they used AI to evaluate their information.
Three principles on AI use for HR
Foo offered three principles on how employers can consider the use of AI in working with people.
"The first is: Tell me. If AI is going to influence an important decision about me, let me have appropriate transparency about this role," he said.
"Candidates should not have to wonder whether they are dealing with a person or a machine, and we should not be left guessing about how technology is being used in decisions that affect us."
The second principle is: "See me," according to the official.
"The more technology we introduce into work, the more important it is to decide where human interaction matters. AI may assist us. But there are many important moments in working life when we need meaningful human engagement," he said.
Some of these moments include interviews, conversations about performance, and opportunities for advancement.
"In these critical moments, people do not simply want an outcome. We want to be heard and understood. So while AI can give us a second pair of eyes, it should never become the only pair of eyes," he said.
The third principle is about taking accountability.
"Own it," Foo tells employers. "AI can help you decide. But ultimately, employers have to take responsibility for the decisions we make about our people, especially decisions that are going to impact their livelihoods."
AI can also help employers build trust, according to the official, as it can support greater consistency, widen the information available to decision-makers, and identify patterns that are usually missed.
"AI can give us a second pair of eyes, while people continue to exercise judgement and take responsibility," Foo said.
"AI can also change what supervisors, managers, and professionals do. We often ask: what can AI replace? But the question should be: what should AI take over, so that humans have more time to do the things we are good at?"
