Job losses and potential skills obsolescence due to automation are among experts’ biggest concerns
[SINGAPORE] A survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters found that professionals in Singapore and Hong Kong are less optimistic than those in other regions about the impact of artificial intelligence on their jobs.
Although 89 per cent of professionals in Singapore and 91 per cent in Hong Kong use AI in their jobs, only 67 per cent and 66 per cent respectively believe the technology will have a positive impact on their career.
This puts the two financial hubs at the bottom of the regional career optimism rankings, behind markets such as mainland China (88%), Vietnam (83%), Japan (80%) and Taiwan (79%).
The biggest concerns about AI adoption among professionals in Singapore are the risk of turnover due to automation, the potential for bias and unfair treatment due to AI-driven decision-making, and the fear that skills will become obsolete.
The survey was conducted among nearly 5,000 professionals and businesses across 10 Asian markets. They found that 93% of professionals in the region are actively using AI, and 58% of employers have already implemented AI in the workplace.
place more emphasis on what humans can do
Employers surveyed said AI is having the greatest impact in sectors where work is highly process-driven, data-intensive, or operational. They cite administrative and business support, IT and digital transformation, and accounting and finance as the top three functions hit by AI use. As for experts, AI is most commonly deployed for content creation, data analysis, research, and workflow optimization.
Kirsty Poltock, country manager at Robert Walters Singapore, said: “AI is reshaping the way we work, moving routine tasks towards automation while increasing human responsibility for judgment and decision-making.”
While high-uptake markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines report strong optimism about the impact of AI on careers, the survey found that this was not matched by high confidence in keeping skills up to date.
The study notes that to run an AI-enabled workplace, employers are placing greater emphasis on human capabilities to ensure effective judgment, monitoring, and adaptability.
For example, data analysis is cited as a highly valued skill by 65% of employers, with an emphasis on interpretation and decision-making.
“The ability to translate AI-generated insights into practical decisions is increasingly seen as a baseline skill across departments, rather than an expert competency,” the report states.
Critical thinking and fact-checking, creativity, adaptability, ethical decision-making, and machine learning expertise are also top skills cited by employers.
Rather than seeking pure AI engineering positions, organizations are expanding existing roles and creating hybrid positions. Examples include AI Product Manager and AI Implementation Lead.
The report notes that there is a growing demand for roles focused on ensuring interpretation, decision-making and insights lead to measurable outcomes.
Meanwhile, roles related to governance, ethics, and trust are also needed to align AI strategy, risk, and adoption within an organization.
“Professionals are expected to critically evaluate deliverables, apply context, and manage expectations,” Poltok said.
“Over time, this reshapes the skills needed to succeed and the way organizations structure roles, teams, and promotions. This is why we’ve seen that job titles may remain the same even as performance expectations change.”
