Most firms stuck on simple AI tasks as cognitive gaps stall growth

About 65% struggle to scale AI despite 70% of workers being digitally literate.

Singapore professionals face constraints in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, as skills gaps persist and 65% of firms focus only on basic AI use cases, according to an Epitome Global report.

The report revealed that only around one in five in Singapore, as well as Malaysia, consistently demonstrated AI-ready skills, including persistence, curiosity, and reflective learning.

Whilst over 70% reported advanced digital literacy, about 56% rated themselves at a basic level in decision-making, and 42% reported basic confidence in computational thinking.

The government is investing $37b into the ‘Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2030’ plan to advance the country’s technological capabilities and workforce readiness. It is also set to roll out national AI missions in key sectors, as announced in Budget 2026.

However, skills gaps could still widen without thoughtful job redesign and practical training, said Jessica Zhang, Senior Vice President for APAC at ADP, citing that around one in five workers are unsure how AI will affect their jobs.

The uncertainty is higher amongst knowledge workers (26%) and those aged 18 to 26 (23%), compared with 9% amongst workers aged 55 to 64.

“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,” said Kevin Chan, CEO of Epitome Global.

Companies are expected to continue cutting roles that no longer match future needs, whilst hiring selectively for advanced technical and cross-functional capabilities, Epitome Global added.

Separately, a National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) survey said that over half (56%) of professionals, managers, and executives feel the need to upskill to remain relevant amidst technological shifts.

Since then, NTUC has rolled out an initiative that is designed as a ‘one-stop’ platform for skills development, business transformation, and improved job matching. The group will also offer AI training pathways and a funding scheme under the initiative.

Reaching the people who run Asia's businesses is harder than it used to be.

Inboxes are crowded. Attention is short. The executives you most want to reach — the founders, CFOs, and operators who actually move budgets — are the hardest to find through the usual channels. If you're building a company, a category, or a reputation, you already know this.

We've spent twenty years building the room they read. Singapore Business Review is where senior decision makers in Singapore and across Southeast Asia come for business coverage they can't get elsewhere — in print, online, and in person at the summits and roundtables we host across seven markets.

If you have something these readers should know about — a point of view worth publishing, a product worth their attention, an event worth their time — we'd like to hear what you're trying to do.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia