Singapore outpaces global peers in AI-driven work output gains, Microsoft says

It found high adoption and output gains, but leadership alignment still lagged.

Majority of artificial intelligence (AI) users in Singapore, or 66%, said they are producing work they could not have created a year ago, against 58% globally, according to Microsoft.

In its 2026 Work Trend Index, Microsoft noted this figure rises to 82% amongst frontier professionals or the most advanced AI users.

AI use in Singapore remains human-led, with 88% of users saying they remain responsible for the thinking when using AI, compared with 86% globally.

Microsoft reported that 78% of AI users in Singapore said they recognise the importance of adapting quickly with AI, compared with 65% globally.

The report found that 24% of respondents in Singapore said leadership is clearly and consistently aligned on AI, compared with 26% globally.

It also found that 48% of respondents said they tend to focus on current goals rather than redesigning work processes around AI.

Wee Luen Chia, managing director of Microsoft Singapore, said employees are using AI whilst maintaining human responsibility in decision-making.

“The opportunity now is for organisations to reinforce that momentum with clearer leadership alignment, stronger managerial signals, and operating models designed for reinvention,” he said.

Singapore ranks second globally on AI diffusion based on Microsoft’s index, according to the report.

Amongst frontier professionals in Singapore, 87% said their managers openly use AI, 81% said they are given space to experiment, and 82% said they are encouraged to redesign work more ambitiously.

Microsoft said organisational factors such as culture, manager support, and talent practices account for twice the impact of individual effort compared with individual effort alone, based on its global findings.

The 2026 Work Trend Index surveyed 20,000 knowledge workers across 10 markets between February and April 2026, with 2,000 respondents per market.