Five in every six (83%) workers in Singapore are comfortable teaming up with AI agents, but only 8% say they are comfortable being managed by one.
This is according to a report from Workday, based on a global survey of 2,950 full-time decision-makers and software implementation leaders across North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Data collection was conducted by Hanover Research in May and June 2025, commissioned by Workday.
The research highlights that widespread optimism is driving the rapid adoption of AI agents into core operations among Singaporean businesses, particularly in finance and HR. In fact, 79% of organisations here are already rolling out AI agents or have begun operating them.
At the same time, employees are drawing a line between how they are and are not willing to work with AI. Ethical, security, and governance concerns remain the primary barriers to broader adoption, far outweighing technical or financial challenges.
This is particularly evident in sensitive areas like finance and compliance, highlighting a need for robust regulation and human oversight.
“We’re entering a new era of work in Singapore where AI is an incredible partner to organisations today, complementing human judgement, leadership, and empathy,” said Jess O’Reilly, Workday general manager in ASEAN.
“To drive productivity and trust, it is important that we rely on AI as a partner rather than a leader,” said O-Reilly. “To do so, Singaporean organisations need to be intentional in how AI is used and keep people at the center of every decision.”
Among Singapore employees, only 24% are comfortable with AI agents operating in the background without human knowledge. Establishing clear boundaries for AI is key to building employee trust and driving greater adoption.
While skepticism remains about AI agents surpassing human intelligence or management capabilities in the near term, nearly 90% of employees in Singapore believe AI agents will help them get more done.
At the same time, many are also concerned that these productivity gains will lead to a decline in critical thinking (50%) and decline in the quality of human interaction (33%). This underscores the need for thoughtful implementation that prioritises employee well-being.
While workers in Singapore recognise the productivity benefits of AI agents, they remain cautious about granting AI agents autonomy in high-stakes or sensitive areas.
All respondents indicated that some form of regulation is required, with a majority in support of having ethical guidelines set by developers (57%) and strict human oversight (48%).
Most respondents in Singapore see agents as important teammates, but not full members of the workforce. Trust in AI also depends on the task; it’s highest for skills development (50%) and lowest for sensitive areas like hiring (15%), finance (23%), and legal matters (13%), underscoring the need for human oversight and accountability.
With the industry facing a shortage of CPAs and finance professionals, more than three-quarters (72%) of finance workers in Singapore believe AI agents will help close the gap and only 11% are worried about job loss.
The top uses for AI agents in finance include financial reporting (33%), forecasting and budgeting (28%), and fraud detection (22%).
