AI uncertainty highest among Singapore knowledge workers: study

16% of Singapore workers expect AI to benefit their jobs, but 11% fear it may replace them.

More than a quarter of Singapore’s knowledge workers are unsure how artificial intelligence will affect their jobs in the coming year, according to new research from ADP.

The People at Work 2025 report by ADP Research shows that 26% of knowledge workers in Singapore feel uncertain about AI’s impact—a rate nearly three times higher than among workers in repetitive or routine roles (9%).

Meanwhile, whilst 16% of Singapore workers expect AI to benefit their jobs, 11% fear it may replace them. Nearly one in five (19%) remain undecided.

Young professionals appear especially unsettled. Workers aged 18 to 26 are 2.5 times more likely to express uncertainty about AI than those nearing retirement age (55–64), with 23% of younger employees unsure about AI’s effect on their roles.

Globally, 17% of workers strongly agree AI will positively affect their job in the next year, and another 33% agree somewhat. At the same time, one in ten workers strongly fear AI will replace their job.

A striking 44% admit they simply don’t know how AI will affect their work—an uncertainty that ADP linked to rising anxiety in the workplace.

Interestingly, these feelings often coexist. 27% of those who expect AI to improve their work also worry it could eliminate their roles. Markets like India and Egypt, which report the highest levels of optimism about AI, also see some of the highest levels of fear over job replacement.

Regional sentiment varies widely. The Middle East and Africa show the greatest confidence, with 27% strongly believing AI will benefit their jobs.

In contrast, Japan and Sweden report the lowest optimism, at just 4% and 6% respectively. The Asia-Pacific region overall, including Singapore, sits in the middle, with 16% strongly expecting positive outcomes from AI integration.

The report also found that fear of AI replacement has real behavioral consequences. Workers who strongly believe AI might take their job are twice as likely to report high levels of stress at work.

They’re also nearly twice as likely to be actively looking for new employment—30% compared to 16% among those less concerned.

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