New report reveals understanding gaps despite adoption of Agentic AI in workplaces
Leaders and employees across Singapore lack understanding of Agentic AI, according to a new report, despite the technology's growing adoption in workplaces.
A white paper from NTUC LearningHub recently looked at the growing prominence of Agentic AI and its implications for organisations.
"The findings highlight that there is still a fundamental lack of understanding of AI and Agentic AI across workplaces," said Amos Tan, Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Core Skills Officer at NTUC LearningHub, in a statement.
According to the report, 48% of business leaders and 83% of employees are not familiar with Agentic AI.
Another 70% of leaders and 83% of employees said their workforce is "not very skilled" or "not skilled at all" in working with these systems.
Nearly half of business leaders (46%) said low AI literacy across functions is the top challenge to Agentic AI adoption. Others cited:
- Limited internal expertise (42%)
- Lack of clarity regarding new AI-related roles (41%)
The findings come despite the growing adoption of Agentic AI, with 18% of business leaders saying it is deployed on a limited basis within certain departments or functions.
A further 23% said there are exploratory discussions on Agentic AI, while 34% said they are in the testing phases of the technology.
"While adoption has started taking place, many employees and leaders themselves admit they are unfamiliar with the technology, and unsure of its implications," Tan said.
Singaporeans willing to learn
In the wake of the understanding gap, the majority of employees (73%) said they are open to attending training on Agentic AI.
Another 62% of business leaders also said they plan to send staff to training within the next two years.
For business leaders, the most critical skills for applying Agentic AI are soft skills. They include:
- Change management and resilience (45%)
- Critical thinking and problem solving (39%)
- Continuous learning and adaptability (39%)
"Technical skills are essential, but human judgement, adaptability and ethics remain indispensable," Tan said.
Redesigning current jobs and developing human capabilities will also enable workers to successfully integrate Agentic AI, according to the NTUC LearningHub official.
"By building this dual foundation of technological literacy and human strengths, organisations can then unlock the full potential of Agentic AI and build a workforce ready to thrive in an AI-driven future," Tan added.
