Singapore – A new survey commissioned by Salesforce indicates that personal use of AI across ASEAN is helping to increase confidence and trust in using similar tools in the workplace, rather than adoption being led primarily by employers.
The research, conducted by YouGov between February and March 2026, gathered responses from 4,062 full-time knowledge workers in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. It found that 66% of respondents stated their personal use of AI had increased their trust in using AI at work, while 69% mentioned it had improved their confidence in workplace applications.
Younger workers reported the highest levels of confidence and trust. From Gen Z respondents, 72% claimed they were confident using AI in professional settings, while 69% shared they trusted the technology.
Despite that openness, the survey also highlighted a gap in training and organisational readiness. Only 32% mentioned that their employer was providing training on how to use AI agents. A further 26% shared how their company was investing in tools or forums for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
“While the growing trust in AI across ASEAN is being driven from personal curiosity, individual use alone doesn’t translate to enterprise-scale impact and trusted business outcomes,” Paul Carvouni, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Salesforce ASEAN, commented.
“For businesses, this is a clear signal to move: our workforce is ready, but it is up to organisations to provide the secure, enterprise-grade frameworks and skills support that turns personal use of AI into a coordinated engine for growth.”
Additionally, respondents also outlined what would make them more comfortable using AI at work. The most common factors were transparency and control over what the system does and why, followed by access to approved and reliable tools, and a clearer understanding of the skills employees need to develop.
Meanwhile, workers expect AI to change the nature of their roles rather than simply replace tasks. Around 35% mentioned they anticipated using AI agents both to automate certain duties and to support others, while 28% believed collaboration skills between people and AI would become increasingly important.
Across age groups, AI adoption appeared broader than commonly assumed. While younger workers remain the most active users, the gap between Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X respondents was relatively small, suggesting familiarity with AI tools is spreading across the workforce.
