A growing divide in trust between employees and senior leaders in Singapore is shaping perceptions of artificial intelligence in the workplace, according to a recent Qualtrics survey.

The findings reveal a significant confidence gap, with only 50% of managers and individual contributors believing their leaders have the skills to implement AI effectively.

The disconnect extends to concerns over AI-driven decision-making. Just 47% of employees trust that their employers will prioritise their wellbeing over profitability when integrating AI, underscoring a 17-percentage-point disparity in trust between senior leaders and lower-level staff.

Ethical AI remains a divisive issue

One of the starkest divides emerges in the perception of AI ethics, the Qualtrics study showed.

While 67% of senior leaders believe AI is being introduced with clear ethical guidelines, only 48% of managers and frontline employees share this confidence.

The lack of alignment suggests employees are not convinced their organisations have adequately addressed ethical concerns in AI deployment.

Similarly, perspectives on AI’s broader impact on work reveal a substantial gap. Two-thirds (67%) of senior directors see AI adoption as a positive force, while less than half (46%) of managers agree.

The numbers highlight a lingering unease among mid-level employees who may feel AI is being imposed upon them without sufficient safeguards.

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AI as a tool for efficiency, not just output

Despite their reservations, Singaporean employees are generally optimistic about AI’s potential to enhance their work.

The majority (57%) plan to use AI-saved time to boost efficiency, while 50% see AI as a means to improve work quality. In contrast, only 26% view AI primarily as a way to increase output, Qualtrics found.

Singapore’s workforce appears more focused on using AI for efficiency and quality than their global counterparts, who tend to see AI as a tool for workload expansion.

This distinction underscores the country’s emphasis on working smarter rather than simply working more.

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Confidence vs. concerns around AI

Employees in Singapore, however, report both confidence and concerns when it comes to their own AI adoption.

In a study from the OliverWyman Forum, 86% of employees in Singapore said they use AI at work.

Add to that the 66% who are confident in the accuracy of work produced through generative AI, as People Matters Global earlier reported. This figure is higher than the global average of 48%.

Meanwhile, 71% trust their employers to act ethically in AI development, according to a McKinsey study.

However, these positive indicators are tempered by persistent concerns, according to data from UiPath:

• 42% say they have not received sufficient guidance on using AI tools effectively
• 38% worry about data security
• 34% are concerned about AI producing incorrect results
• 31% fear regulatory pitfalls

The race to AI expertise despite limited training

While 88% of employees feel an urgency to become AI experts, 63% admit they spend fewer than five hours learning how to use AI effectively, findings from Slack’s Workforce Index revealed.

This gap between ambition and action highlights the pressing need for structured AI training programmes within organisations.

To successfully integrate AI, Qualtrics experts recommend transparent communication, stronger employee support systems, clear AI usage guidelines, and robust training programmes.

Companies that treat employees as partners in AI adoption, rather than passive recipients of change, are more likely to build trust and improve retention rates.

All these findings paint a clear picture: while AI is rapidly transforming workplaces, Singaporean business leaders must do more to build trust and confidence among employees.

Providing clearer ethical frameworks, prioritising employee wellbeing, and ensuring open communication about AI’s role in the workplace will be essential for fostering a culture of AI acceptance rather than apprehension.

Organisations that succeed will be those that see employees as co-pilots in this transformation rather than passengers simply along for the ride.