COTD: 58% of SG employees choose to use AI on their own

A growing number of employees in Singapore are taking the lead in using AI tools at work, with 58% saying they chose to adopt the technology on their own, according to a report by Public First.

In contrast, only 39% of AI users said they were encouraged by a manager or colleague to use such tools.

This trend is even more pronounced amongst younger workers. About 84% of workers aged 18-24 reported independently deciding to use AI at work. Amongst those aged 25-34, 60% adopted AI on their own, whilst the proportion drops to 51% for those aged 35-44, and 46% for those aged 45-54. Amongst workers aged 55 and above, 51% reported self-initiated AI use.

Whilst overall use is rising, clear gaps are forming. Male workers are 10 percentage points more likely than female workers to report regular AI use, and university graduates are 15 points ahead of non-graduates.

Despite these disparities, the report found that the perceived barriers to AI usage—such as complexity, lack of training, or fear of making mistakes—were remarkably consistent across all groups. This suggests the key challenge lies not in the obstacles themselves but in confidence and access to effective upskilling.

Experts warn that broad and inclusive AI adoption will be critical for long-term economic transformation, and call for targeted interventions to support underrepresented groups.

Solutions could include tailored training programs, peer-led learning, and accessible resources that focus on building both technical skills and user confidence.

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