Singapore employees are among the world’s most active users of artificial intelligence (AI) at work, but most rely on tools outside those approved by their employers, according to new research by Qualtrics.

The company’s 2026 Employee Experience Trends Report found that 68 per cent of Singapore workers frequently use AI in their jobs, as organisations navigate some of the highest levels of workplace change globally.

The report surveyed more than 1,000 customer-facing employees in Singapore as part of a global study of more than 33,000 workers across 24 countries.

Nearly four in five Singapore employees (79 per cent) said they experienced significant organisational change in the past year, prompting many to turn to AI tools to maintain productivity.

High AI Adoption But Limited Company Tools

AI adoption in Singapore workplaces is particularly strong when it comes to improving work quality.

About 69 per cent of employees said they use AI to improve the quality of their work, well above the global average of 58 per cent. Meanwhile, 41 per cent said AI helps them accomplish tasks they previously could not do.

Despite this uptake, only 14 per cent of employees said they rely exclusively on AI tools provided by their companies.

The findings point to widespread use of “shadow AI” – tools adopted by workers outside official corporate systems.

“Singapore employees are navigating exceptional organisational change and they’ve turned to AI to help them stay productive and adapt,” said Steve Bennetts, Head of Growth and Strategy for APAC Employee Experience at Qualtrics.

“But they’re bypassing their organisation’s policies because the approved tools simply aren’t there. This can quickly turn dangerous, with shadow AI introducing serious data security and compliance risks,” he said.

The report also suggests that many organisations have yet to invest heavily in new technology. Only 42 per cent of Singapore employees reported adopting new tools or technologies in the past year, matching the global average.

Listening Linked To Engagement And Retention

While organisational change has been widespread, employee engagement in Singapore has shown resilience.

Engagement among customer-facing workers rose three percentage points to 62 per cent, even as global engagement declined by three points to 65 per cent.

However, the study found employee sentiment varies significantly depending on whether organisations actively listen to staff feedback.

Companies in Singapore that increased how frequently they gathered employee feedback recorded engagement levels of 86 per cent. In contrast, organisations that reduced listening saw engagement fall to just 35 per cent.

Intent to stay also dropped sharply in those organisations, reaching 32 per cent compared with the global average of 47 per cent.

Around 29 per cent of Singapore organisations increased employee listening efforts over the past year, slightly above the global average of 25 per cent.

Still, 40 per cent of employees said they want leaders to listen more to their feedback.

Bennetts said listening has become especially important as companies manage ongoing transformation.

“Singapore employees are navigating significant change while organisations underinvest in technology, which makes listening to employee feedback even more critical,” he said.