AI adoption accelerates but workforce readiness lags in Singapore and Malaysia

As artificial intelligence adoption accelerates across organisations, new data from workforce intelligence company Epitome Global suggests that widening skills gaps could constrain the next phase of AI-driven productivity.

Drawing on aggregated skills assessments conducted between 2023 and 2025 across Singapore and Malaysia, the study finds that only around one in five professionals consistently demonstrate behaviours associated with AI readiness, including persistence, curiosity and reflective learning.

The findings are based on assessment data from more than 200 participants involved in workforce development, employability and organisational programmes. While digital familiarity appears strong, with more than 70% of respondents reporting advanced digital literacy. deeper capability gaps persist.

Approximately 56% of participants rated themselves at a basic level in decision-making, while about 42% reported only basic confidence in computational thinking. These capabilities are increasingly critical as employees are expected to supervise AI tools, interpret outputs and integrate automation into everyday workflows.

The data suggests that as AI technologies become more widely accessible, workforce readiness, rather than technology availability, may emerge as the primary performance constraint in 2026.

“AI tools are scaling faster than workforce readiness,” said Kevin Chan, CEO of Epitome Global. “In the next phase of adoption, the differentiator will not be access to technology, but clarity around what people can actually do, how they make decisions, adapt and collaborate with AI-enabled systems.”

Five workplace trends to watch in 2026

Based on the multi-year analysis, Epitome Global outlined five trends expected to shape organisations in the coming year:

• Disengagement and skills decay emerge as productivity risks: With only about one in five workers consistently displaying AI-ready behaviours, organisations may face rising risks tied to capability erosion and workforce disengagement.
• Rapid AI uptake exposes integration gaps: Despite strong adoption momentum, 65% of organisations in Singapore remain focused on basic AI use cases, pointing to challenges in scaling and embedding AI into core workflows.
• Shift from cost-based outsourcing to higher-value roles: Across Southeast Asia and India, including markets such as the Philippines and Vietnam, professionals are moving toward engineering, product, IT and data science roles, intensifying global talent competition.
• Fire-and-hire cycles likely to intensify: In 2026, organisations are expected to continue phasing out roles that no longer match future needs while selectively hiring for advanced technical and cross-functional capabilities.

Senior employability gains strategic importance: As Asia’s workforce ages, employers are increasingly viewing experienced professionals as knowledge carriers, AI output reviewers and cross-functional mentors.

The report concludes that organisational outcomes in 2026 will be shaped less by how many AI tools companies deploy and more by how effectively they understand, measure and develop workforce skills. For business leaders, the message is clear: the AI race is rapidly becoming a talent readiness challenge.