New report reveals professionals lack skills needed to be AI-ready
Despite having advanced digital literacy, professionals in Singapore and Malaysia are falling short of the skills needed to thrive in a world rapidly adopting artificial intelligence tools.
Findings from workforce intelligence firm Epitome Global reveal that deeper gaps remain among professionals when it comes to characteristics associated with AI-ready skills.
According to the report, 56% of Singaporeans and Malaysians rate themselves at a basic level in decision-making.
Less than half of employees (42%) also report basic confidence in computational thinking.
The report, which is based on aggregated skills assessments between 2023 and 2025, found that only around one in five professionals consistently demonstrates characteristics associated with AI-ready skills, such as persistence, curiosity, and reflective learning.
This is despite more than 70% of the respondents saying they possess advanced digital literacy skills.
Kevin Chan, CEO of Epitome Global, warns that this could mean workforce readiness may be the biggest constraint on performance in 2026.
"AI tools are scaling faster than workforce readiness," Chan said in a statement. "In the next phase of adoption, the differentiator will not be access to technology, but clarity around what people can actually do, how they make decisions, adapt and collaborate with AI-enabled systems."
The right skills for AI adoption
The findings come in the wake of widespread adoption of AI tools in Singapore and Malaysia.
Recent data from Indeed reveal that Singapore is one of the top countries adopting AI tools at work, posting one of the highest shares of job listings mentioning generative AI.
In Malaysia, AI adoption is also surging, with a recent Amazon Web Services report, released late last year, showing that over 2.4 million businesses in the country are now using AI technologies, Techwire Asia reported.
But as demand for AI tools increases, demand for employees with soft skills to complement technical progress also goes up.
Feon Ang, vice-president, LinkedIn Talent Solutions, and managing director, APAC, previously said there is a "pronounced shift" towards technical and soft skills to thrive in the era of AI.
"Investing in people's growth is no longer a perk but a strategic imperative, considering that our workforce is the driving force behind companies' success in an era shaped by both AI innovation and collaboration with AI," Ang said.
