Singapore firms expect autonomous AI within a year

HCLTech has published a Singapore-focused report on enterprise AI adoption, finding that many companies expect autonomous AI to become standard in mission-critical work within a year.

Conducted with Omdia, the research found that 70% of business leaders in Singapore believe all competitors in their industry will be using autonomous AI systems for mission-critical work within the next 12 months. Readiness across applications, governance and skills, however, is lagging behind that expectation.

The Singapore findings are based on 43 respondents from organisations with annual revenue of USD $1 billion or more. They form part of a broader survey of 467 respondents across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Use cases already extend well beyond experimentation. The report found that generative and agentic AI tools are being used in software development by 93% of respondents, in IT operations by 86%, and in operational environments by 77%.

That uptake is putting pressure on both older systems and platforms updated in recent years. Some 81% of respondents said both legacy and modernised applications still require significant overhauls to support AI.

Readiness gap

The findings point to a mismatch between adoption rates and the underlying technology needed to support large-scale use. Companies may have access to AI models, but many are still struggling to integrate them into existing systems and manage them consistently across the business.

Governance has emerged as another obstacle as AI moves into more critical processes. The report found that 81% of respondents said responsible AI considerations moderately or significantly affect deployment decisions, shaping architecture choices, delivery timescales and project scope.

Yet many organisations still lack the controls needed to oversee those systems. Nearly half, or 49%, identified insufficient monitoring and auditing processes as a leading governance barrier.

Skills demand

The survey also highlights rising demand for outside help as companies try to move projects into production. Some 86% of Singapore organisations said they are seeking consultation to address AI skills gaps and speed up execution.

Confusion in a crowded supplier market is also driving that demand. The report found that 77% of respondents need help distinguishing proven solutions from "vaporware".

The challenge is no longer limited to technical deployment. Procurement, internal expertise and governance structures are also becoming central to how businesses assess and use AI tools.

Sandeep Sarkar, Senior Vice President, ASEAN, HCLTech, said competitive pressure in Singapore is intensifying as businesses look to expand the use of autonomous systems.

"AI in Singapore is moving into a more serious phase, with 70% of leaders saying every competitor in their industry will be using autonomous AI for mission-critical work within the next 12 months," Sarkar said.

He said rapid adoption alone would not generate returns if companies failed to update core systems and operating models.

"There is a real opportunity here, but speed on its own will not deliver value. The organisations that get ahead will be the ones that modernise their applications and data, strengthen governance, and make AI part of how the business runs every day, rather than treating it as a set of isolated pilots," Sarkar said.

The report argues that organisations with modern applications and data foundations, repeatable deployment methods, and stronger governance structures will be better positioned to move AI beyond pilot projects. It also points to platform-based operating models as an important factor in turning experimental deployments into routine business tools.

For large enterprises in Singapore, the next phase of AI adoption may depend less on enthusiasm for the technology than on the slower work of rebuilding systems, setting controls and finding specialist support. Among respondents, 81% said both legacy and already modernised applications require significant overhauls to support AI.