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Seven in 10 business leaders and more than four in five employees said their workforce is 'not very skilled' or 'not skilled at all' in working with agentic AI systems.
Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making its way into Singapore’s workplaces, with organisations beginning to explore its potential in enhancing operations and competitiveness.
According to NTUC LearningHub’s White Paper Report on Agentic AI for Workplace Resilience, 77% of business leaders and 74% of employees agree that agentic AI is essential for staying competitive.
The report, which surveyed 150 business leaders and 300 full-time working professionals, found that three in four business leaders said their organisations are already at some stage of adoption. Of these, 23% are in exploratory discussions, 34% are in testing phases, and 18% have implemented Agentic AI in specific departments or functions.
However, understanding of the technology has not kept pace. More than four in five employees (83%) and nearly half of business leaders (48%) reported being unfamiliar with agentic AI. Seven in ten business leaders (70%) and more than four in five employees (83%) also said their workforce is 'not very skilled' or 'not skilled at all' in working with agentic AI systems.
Low familiarity and unclear impact
The report highlighted that many organisations do not yet understand how agentic AI will affect daily work. About half of business leaders surveyed said their organisations lack a clear understanding of its implications for day-to-day operations – 51% saying not very well, and 11% saying not well at all.
Low AI literacy across functions emerged as the top challenge to adoption (46%), followed by limited internal expertise (42%) and a lack of clarity on new AI-related roles (41%). From the employee perspective, two in three respondents (40% to a small extent, 25% to a negligible extent) said their companies only keep them informed about emerging technologies to a limited extent.
Workforce shows readiness to upskill
Despite these gaps, both employees and leaders expressed strong interest in learning about agentic AI. More than seven in ten employees (73%) said they are open to attending training, while three in five leaders (62%) plan to send their staff for such training within the next two years.
The top training areas identified were technical skills (45% employees, 50% leaders), data handling (40% employees, 37% leaders), and AI literacy (38% employees, 40% leaders). Certifications are also highly valued, with 71% of employees saying they consider them important when choosing courses. The most popular certifications cited were the Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals Certificate (27%), Generative AI for Executives (26%), and Certified CyberAI Professional (24%).
In the same vein, employees identified critical thinking and problem solving (43%), continuous learning and adaptability (42%), and AI literacy (38%) as the most important skills for applying agentic AI effectively. Business leaders, meanwhile, highlighted change management and resilience (45%), critical thinking and problem solving (39%), and continuous learning and adaptability (39%).
Developing both human and technical strengths
Amos Tan, Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Core Skills Officer, NTUC LearningHub commented: "The findings highlight that there is still a fundamental lack of understanding of AI and Agentic AI across workplaces. While adoption has started taking place, many employees and leaders themselves admit they are unfamiliar with the technology, and unsure of its implications."
He added that success in adopting Agentic AI will require more than technical expertise, While technical skills are important, human judgement, adaptability and ethics remain critical. He also highlighted that redesigning existing roles and developing human capabilities will help workers integrate Agentic AI effectively into their daily work.
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