Firms must set measurable targets to boost AI returns: YCP

Only 6.6% of businesses in Singapore have fully implemented AI.

Companies should set clear targets for how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve their business and assign an accountable person to own the results, according to YCP.

Speaking at the Singapore Business Review Technology Enterprise Summit, YCP Director Jason Ong said businesses must also improve their workflows and clarify decision-making roles to generate measurable returns from AI.

"AI doesn't scale. Operating models do," he said. “The cost of tokens is falling, but usage continues to grow, meaning the overall bill can increase over time as adoption expands.”

Ong, citing data from the Infocomm Media Development Authority, noted that only 6.6% of AI-using firms in Singapore have fully implemented the technology, whilst around 60% are still testing AI or developing their first use case.

This comes despite rising adoption amongst businesses, with AI usage amongst larger Singapore companies increasing from 62.5% in 2025 to 70.4% in 2026.

Moreover, the gap between adoption and financial returns extends across the region.

Ong cited a report showing that the share of companies in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand reporting strong returns on AI investments fell from 37% to 29%.

Another survey of Singapore business leaders found that 38% struggled to identify suitable AI use cases, whilst 36% cited uncertainty over investment returns.

Meanwhile, more than half of Asia-Pacific firms have reportedly delayed or scaled back AI agent deployments because operating costs outweighed the expected benefits.

"If you can't say what number is supposed to change and who owns it, then it means an experiment," he added.

Beyond setting business targets, Ong said companies must revise employees' responsibilities, performance indicators, and existing processes to accommodate AI.

He noted that AI tools are often introduced into workflows built around manual processes, leaving existing approval requirements and handovers unchanged.

“The AI gives you an answer immediately, but then you wait several days,” he added.

In addition, businesses should define which decisions AI can make independently, which require human approval, and which should remain entirely with employees.

Ong pointed to companies that have reported measurable improvements from integrating AI into their operations.

“Scaling means taking a successful pilot, turning it into a template, and applying it to the next production line, factory, or site,” Ong said. “[You] redesign the business, not just the tool.”

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