Salesforce has unveiled new research showing that while Singapore’s desk workers are among the least sceptical about AI globally, they rank among the lowest worldwide for daily workplace adoption.

The survey of more than 1,500 desk workers across 14 markets found that just 29 per cent of Singapore respondents identify as AI sceptics, well below the global average of 37 per cent. Yet only 6 per cent say AI is a core part of their daily work, nearly half the global average of 11 per cent.

Where corporate AI rollouts are stalling

Among Singapore workers who experienced unsuccessful AI pilots, 40 per cent cited generic outputs as the reason for failure — the highest proportion of any market surveyed and ten percentage points above the global average. A further 38 per cent flagged low trust in AI outputs, while 30 per cent said results lacked business context.

From experimentation to execution

The research, conducted with YouGov, also identified more than 500 workers globally who successfully moved from pilots to daily use. What set them apart was not enthusiasm but the ecosystem around the tools: role-specific training, AI embedded into existing workflows, and strict data security.

“Singapore workers are not standing in the way of AI – they’re waiting for AI that works for them… leaders have to move past generic tools and use AI that is trusted, grounded in business context and built into daily work,” said Paul Carvouni, SVP & GM, ASEAN, Salesforce.

Salesforce said the findings point to a delivery gap rather than cultural reluctance, with Singapore’s workforce having already signalled readiness for contextual, trustworthy AI tools.