Singapore faces quality challenges in AI adoption despite rapid growth

Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z professionals in the country regularly use GenAI.

Despite its rapid embrace of Generative AI (GenAI), Singapore is grappling with a major obstacle: a lack of quality data, which 35% of professionals cite as the biggest challenge to AI adoption—higher than the global average of 32%.

In a report, Jobstreet stated nearly two-thirds of Gen Z professionals in the country regularly use GenAI, matching figures in the Philippines and second only to Thailand.

However, whilst emerging markets like Indonesia and the Philippines fear AI-driven job losses, Singapore’s workforce sees AI as a tool rather than a threat, particularly in marketing and media, where AI enhances productivity rather than replacing human input.

The country’s measured approach to AI reskilling further underscores this distinction. Whilst 53% of Singapore professionals are prepared to retrain for AI-driven changes, the rate lags behind fast-adopting neighbors like the Philippines (74%) and Indonesia (72%).

Workers are seeking clearer guidance on AI-relevant skills (53%), better access to learning programs (45%), and greater time and financial support (35%) to upskill effectively.

Beyond data quality, another key challenge is AI literacy—33% of Singapore respondents struggle with writing effective AI prompts, indicating a skills gap that must be addressed for businesses to fully leverage AI.

Unlike some Southeast Asian countries, infrastructure and speed issues (31%) are less of a concern for Singapore’s AI users.