From assistants to agents, finding Singapore’s balance with AI

Singapore has always been quick to embrace new technologies, but in 2025 the country is taking a decisive step forward. Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant promise; it’s becoming woven into how people live, work, and make decisions. Three global technology leaders, Salesforce, Adobe, and Microsoft, say Singapore is not just keeping up but setting the pace for how agentic AI will reshape daily life and business across the region.

Leading in AI readiness

According to Salesforce’s 2025 AI Readiness Index, Singapore ranks first in Asia Pacific and second globally, topping the world for regulatory readiness and adoption. It also placed second in investment and third in talent – a foundation that makes AI deployment here faster and safer than in most markets.

Brian Kealey, Country Leader, Singapore, Salesforce, pointed out that adoption isn’t limited to the young. “We’re seeing enthusiasm for agentic AI across all levels – from fresh graduates to C-suite executives who are taking a hands-on approach,” he explained. With this kind of uptake, Singapore could unlock as much as S$198.3 billion in economic benefits by 2030.

Everyday AI: From shopping to finance

Adobe’s Shashank Sharma, Senior Director of Digital Experience for Southeast Asia and Korea, described how AI is moving from cautious curiosity to everyday utility. “Eighteen percent of Singaporeans are already using AI agents, with another 31% planning to adopt them within the year,” he said, quoting figures from a recent Adobe report, From Assistants to Agents: The AI Revolution in Singapore.

Shopping and lifestyle decisions are leading the way. Nearly all consumers (94%) now use AI to research products, while 89% rely on it for comparisons. Travel is another area where AI has taken off – 41% have used it for itineraries and bookings. In finance, almost a third would fully trust AI-generated recommendations without human input.

Kealey agreed that finance is a hotspot. With agentic AI, institutions can now serve clients with digital bankers available 24/7, offering tailored advice and executing routine requests. “Consumers in Singapore are especially bullish about AI’s role in financial services,” he noted.

From assistance to action

What’s changed is the shift from AI as a passive assistant to an active agent. Singaporeans no longer just want AI to answer questions; they want it to take action. Sharma pointed out that 91% of consumers are attracted by the idea of a personal digital assistant managing chores like grocery delivery, while 80% are even open to fully autonomous vehicles.

For Microsoft, this is about empowering people. Cynthia Yeo, Acting Managing Director and Enterprise Commercial Director at Microsoft Singapore, said: “Agentic AI isn’t just about streamlining processes – it’s about freeing people to focus on higher-value work.” Tools like Copilot Studio, which let businesses create an agent in minutes, are already saving hours.

To push this further, Microsoft partnered with Digital Industry Singapore under the Enterprise Compute Initiative to launch the Agentic AI Accelerator. The programme aims to help 300 local companies become “Frontier Firms” – organisations where humans and AI agents work side by side.

Building skills and trust

Trust and readiness are just as important as technology. Yeo highlighted that Microsoft, working with government and training partners, helped upskill 100,000 people in AI last year. Its AI Pinnacle Program is also co-developing solutions with local giants like Singtel, Seatrium, and SingHealth, embedding AI into core industries.

Salesforce’s Kealey echoed that trust is paramount. “Singaporeans value security and privacy, and rank data protection as critical to building their trust in AI,” he said. At Salesforce, guardrails and visibility are built into its Agentforce platform, giving businesses confidence and control.

Interestingly, AI isn’t just something that needs securing – it can strengthen security itself. Already, 45% of IT security teams in Singapore are using AI agents for monitoring and threat detection, with that number expected to rise to 74% within two years.

Rethinking business and work

For businesses, agentic AI is more than an efficiency tool; it’s a workforce transformation. “We will be the last generation to work with all-human workforces,” Kealey predicted. In Salesforce’s own deployment, Agentforce now handles 85% of inquiries on its help site, powering over a million conversations since launch.

Adobe’s Sharma also sees the workplace shifting. Younger professionals are leading adoption, but AI is freeing everyone from repetitive tasks to focus on empathy, judgement, and creativity. Adobe’s Agent Orchestrator is designed around this idea, orchestrating AI action with human oversight.

Microsoft, meanwhile, is betting on Singapore as an AI research hub. Its new Microsoft Research Asia lab in Singapore, built with the Economic Development Board, is exploring embodied AI, culturally contextual language models, and industrial applications across healthcare, finance, and logistics.

The road ahead

Looking forward, all three companies expect Singapore to remain a leader. For Adobe, the breakthrough will be autonomous, context-aware agents that seamlessly manage schedules, bookings, and daily tasks. For Salesforce, it’s the rise of hybrid workforces where humans and AI collaborate as co-workers. And for Microsoft, it’s about embedding AI into every layer of society, from enterprises to everyday life.

Sharma summed it up neatly: “AI isn’t about replacing people; it’s about complementing them.” Yeo agreed, adding that the future lies in confidence: “The real value comes when people feel comfortable working side by side with AI.”

If the momentum continues, Singapore won’t just adopt AI – it will define how the world balances technology with human values.