HR-IT collaboration needed to ensure safe, responsible Agentic AI adoption
Human resources teams in Singapore will be more empowered by Agentic AI in 2026, according to experts, who underscored the need for HR-IT collaboration for AI oversight.
ADP's 2026 HR Trends Guide has found that Agentic AI is emerging as a core Human Capital Management capability, with CHROs globally expecting a 327% adoption rate within their organisations by 2027.
In Singapore, experts are predicting that Agentic AI will support HR teams when it comes to automating onboarding steps, streamlining validation work, providing real-time managerial insights, as well as reducing errors in data-heavy processes such as payroll.
The expectation comes as 51% of Singapore's organisations view AI as important to improving payroll productivity, according to a separate ADP report.
"The workplace of 2026 will be intelligent, interconnected, and human centric," said Jessica Zhang, senior vice president of APAC at ADP.
"Technologies such as AI are becoming integral to daily operations and will continue to shape how work is done across Singapore. With Smart Nation efforts, Singapore is well-positioned to play a larger role in regional AI development."
Agentic AI's risks at work
Agentic AI has been dubbed the "next frontier" of artificial intelligence. According to PwC, this technology can create "digital teammates" that can be instructed to reason across tasks, adapt over time, and use external tools to complete objectives.
Eight in 10 global CHROs surveyed by ADP are predicting that most of the workforce will have people and AI agents working together within five years.
But its widespread adoption comes with risks. PwC warned earlier this year that attackers are crafting inputs to hijack AI behaviour to extract sensitive data.
Flawed AI models can also potentially disrupt business continuity and reinforce systemic bias in hiring decisions.
Humans needed in Agentic AI adoption
Amin Venjara, chief data officer, ADP, underscored the importance of human oversight in addressing Agentic AI adoption challenges.
"Human oversight provides purpose and guardrails, clarifying objectives, approving critical actions, and reviewing impacts," Venjara said in a statement.
"Together, they deliver scalable automation that's trustworthy, compliant, and resilient when conditions change."
Employers will need AI governance frameworks and HR-IT collaboration to ensure transparency, fairness, and human-centric design in AI adoption, according to ADP.
It stressed that HR leaders will need IT expertise to select and integrate complex systems and work with them to better understand the technology's adoption challenges and workforce impact.
"HR and IT's partnership isn't just tactical; it's strategic," the report read. "Both functions carry responsibility for safeguarding company data, incorporating people data into business strategy and influencing how leadership responds to AI's transformation."
