Qualtrics: Singapore leads in using shadow AI to improve work

Employees in Singapore are experiencing some of the highest levels of organisational change globally, and against this backdrop, they're turning to AI to stay productive, said Qualtrics. Nearly seven in 10 (68%) use it frequently at work, yet only 14% use company-provided tools exclusively, revealing a gap between employee AI success and organisational technology investment in Singapore, according to the Qualtrics 2026 Employee Experience Trends Report.

The research, based on responses from over 1,000 customer-facing employees in Singapore as part of a global study of over 33,000 workers across 24 countries, reveals that 79% of Singapore employees experienced significant organisational change in the past year. This is among the highest rates globally and in response, employees are embracing AI at scale.

Singapore-based findings from the annual study include:

- Almost seven in 10 (69%) of Singapore employees use AI to improve work quality, among the highest rates globally.

- Nearly seven in 10 (68%) use AI frequently at work and 57% feel hopeful or excited about AI (vs 49% globally).

- A relatively small percentage (14%) use strictly company-provided AI tools, which are among the lowest compliance rates studied.

- Fewer than half (42%) experienced new technology adoption in the past year, matching the global rate. 

Singapore employees have turned to AI as a critical tool for maintaining productivity amid organisational change. They report among the highest rates of any market studied for using AI to improve work quality (69% vs 58% globally). Additionally, 41% say AI enables them to accomplish things they previously couldn't do, above the 37% global average, positioning Singapore as a global leader in extracting value from AI at work.

Yet, only 14% of Singapore employees use exclusively company-provided AI tools – among the lowest compliance rates globally. The rest are using unapproved AI (shadow AI). This gap is reflective of just how much Singapore organisations are under-investing in technology, which follows a global trend: under half (42%) of Singapore employees experienced new technologies or tools in the past year, the same as the global metric.

"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 & Strategy, APAC, Employee Experience at Qualtrics. 

"It’s clear they want to be using AI - the data shows that the majority of employees are already using AI frequently at work, and more than half feel hopeful or excited about it. 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.” 

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

“When companies aren't providing the tools employees need, they must, at a minimum, be hearing employee concerns and acting on them. Our data shows that organisations that prioritise listening see engagement reach 86%. Conversely, those that fail to listen face a major retention crisis, with employee intent to stay dropping to just 32%.”

"The lesson from Singapore is clear: employees want to be productive and embrace new technologies like AI, but they need organisations to provide the right tools and support," added Bennetts. 

"The organisations that invest in approved AI tools and listen to employees during change will capture this innovation strategically. Those that don't will face shadow AI risks while their best people walk out the door." 

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Download the full 2026 Employee Experience Trends Report

*The 2026 Employee Experience Trends Report is based on a survey of 33,831 full-time and part-time employees conducted in September and October 2025. The Singapore sample included 1,056 respondents. Participants globally represented 24 countries across five continents and 30 industries, with organisations ranging from 100 to 50,000+ employees.

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