Amazon Web Services (AWS) has released research showing that when artificial intelligence (AI) is fully harnessed, Singapore workers with AI skills and expertise could see salary hikes of over 25%, with workers in IT (35%), and research and development (34%) enjoying the highest pay bumps.
To better understand emerging AI usage trends and skilling needs in APAC workplaces, AWS commissioned Access Partnership to conduct a regional study, titled “Accelerating AI Skills: Preparing the Asia-Pacific Workforce for Jobs of the Future”. Over 1,600 workers and 500 employers were surveyed in Singapore.
On top of significant salary bumps, 95% of Singapore workers expect their AI skills to have a positive impact on their careers, including increased job efficiency, improved job security, and greater job satisfaction. 87% of Singapore workers indicated an interest in developing AI skills to accelerate their careers, and this interest transcends generations .
While around 91% of Gen Z, 89% of Millennials, and 83% of Gen X workers want to acquire AI skills, 76% of baby boomers—a demographic usually contemplating retirement—say they would enrol in an AI upskilling course if it was offered.
The research also found that the productivity payoff from an AI-skilled workforce could be immense for Singapore. Surveyed employers expect their organization’s productivity to increase by 44% as AI technology automates repetitive tasks (68%), improves workflow and outcomes (65%), and enhances communication (62%). Workers believe AI could raise their efficiency by as much as 43%.
Singapore organizations go all-in on AI
The speed of AI transformation happening in Singapore is remarkable. 94% of employers envision their companies becoming AI-driven organizations by 2028. While most employers (91%) believe their IT department will be the biggest beneficiary, they also foresee business operations (90%), research and development (89%), finance (89%), sales and marketing (86%), legal (83%), and human resources (81%) departments driving significant value from AI too.
“The AI wave is sweeping across the Asia-Pacific region including Singapore, transforming the way businesses operate and the way we work. Our research shows that society as a whole will benefit from an increased productivity boost, which will translate into higher salaries for skilled workers,” said Abhineet Kaul, Director at Access Partnership.
“With a growing number of organizations expected to deepen their use of AI solutions and tools, and the continual evolution of AI-driven innovations, there is a need for employers and governments to nurture a proficient workforce capable of steering current and future AI advancements.”
Generative AI—a type of AI that can create new content and ideas quickly, including conversations, stories, images, videos, music, and more—has captured the attention of the general public in the past year, and this technology is already transforming workplaces in Singapore.
95% of surveyed employers and 94% of workers expect to use generative AI tools on the job within the next five years, with 71% of employers highlighting ‘increasing innovation and creativity’ as the top benefit, followed by automating repetitive tasks (67%), and supporting learning (56%).
“Generative AI offers an unprecedented opportunity to transform businesses in Singapore, and this research shows that AI skills are imperative for the future workforce. From financial services to construction and retail, industries are embracing AI at a rapid pace, which is why an AI-skilled workforce is essential to unleashing a culture of innovation and driving productivity in Singapore” said Emmanuel Pillai, Head of Training and Certification for ASEAN at AWS.
Bridging Singapore’s AI skills gap is mission-critical
The research reveals a looming AI skills gap which must be bridged to ensure the region is well-positioned to unlock the full productivity benefits of AI. Hiring AI-skilled talent is a priority for over eight in ten (81%) Singapore employers, of which 74% can’t find the AI talent they need. The research also uncovers a training awareness gap, whereby 82% of employers indicated that they don’t know how to run an AI workforce training program. Meanwhile, 78% of workers said they aren’t sure about relevant career paths where AI skills are useful.
The research highlights the need for greater collaboration between governments, industries, and educators to help employers across Singapore implement AI training programs and guide workers in matching their AI skillsets to the right roles to harness their newly acquired AI capabilities.
Education institutions in Singapore play a key role in preparing students for the workplace of the future. Ngee Ann Polytechnic is working with Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority as a Training Partner to reskill about 18,000 people in tech roles over the next three years. In January 2024, Ngee Ann Polytechnic unveiled its Gen.AI Hub, established with AWS to help students explore the possibilities of generative AI, learn critical AI and cloud computing skills, and showcase their AI innovations.
There, students can experience first-hand generative AI tools like Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed service that offers organizations a choice of high-performing foundation models, along with a broad set of capabilities needed to build generative AI applications with security, privacy, and responsible AI.