Singapore leads AI anxiety as firms race to adopt new technologies

Singapore leaders were also among the most focused on agentic AI, with 40.8% ranking it a top priority.

Singapore emerged as the most AI-anxious market in a new Thoughtworks study, with 66% of business leaders reporting “AI FOMO” as companies accelerate efforts to use artificial intelligence for growth rather than just efficiency.

The research found that 77% of business leaders globally said they have shifted their AI strategies from cost savings to growth and innovation, rising to 92% among large enterprises.

The study, conducted by Censuswide in September to October 2025, surveyed 3,500 IT decision-makers and C-suite leaders and 3,500 consumers across the US, UK, Germany, India, Brazil, Singapore, and Australia.

In Singapore, 23% of leaders said the biggest impact of AI initiatives has been increased customer lifetime value, whilst the city-state also showed the most acute talent constraint in the study, with 21% citing skills gaps as the main barrier to scaling AI.

Singapore leaders were also among the most focused on agentic AI, with 40.8% ranking it a top priority, above the global average of 35%.

Globally, executives are increasingly linking AI to revenue growth. 27% expect AI to deliver up to 10% revenue growth within the next year, and nearly half expect AI to generate more than 15% revenue uplift within a decade.

Expectations were strongest in India and Brazil, where 49.2% of respondents in each market forecast more than 15% revenue growth within five years.

The study also pointed to maturing AI governance. More than half of surveyed organisations now have a Chief AI Officer, and 72% of those said the role carries budget authority and accountability for return on investment.

Most leaders (84%) said AI is augmenting rather than replacing talent, with 22% reporting the creation of new AI-driven career paths.