The global AI performance survey released on April 13 by PwC polled more than 1,200 senior executives primarily from large corporations worldwide. Of these, 30 respondents are based in Singapore.

According to the study conducted between July and September 2025, Singapore businesses (67%) are more willing to take risks when investing in AI compared to those in other countries (41%).

Meanwhile, 63% of Singapore respondents surveyed reported that they are able to make key decisions regarding financial and human resources on the basis of AI opportunities, higher than the 51% on average in other countries.

In particular, 43% of Singapore respondents reported using AI to compete with companies outside their own sectors, compared to 20% globally.

People walk along the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore on May 25, 2023. Photo by AFP

The global study also found that organisations in many countries are still using AI for less advanced tasks such as analysis, prediction and recommendation (37% globally) compared to just 20% in Singapore.

In contrast, Singapore businesses are ahead in deploying AI in more sophisticated ways, such as autonomous and self-optimising ways at 17% compared to only 8% globally.

However, when measured against AI leaders, Singapore’s overall standing trails in the following areas: governance and risk management; data; workflow redesign; unlocking new value.

It is noted that over half of Singapore businesses surveyed (53%) have robust, up-to-date security in place to protect data, AI models and underlying infrastructure, compared to 69% among AI leaders.

In 2025, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the AI Verify Foundation advanced efforts to operationalise trust in GenAI through initiatives such as the Global AI Assurance Pilot, enabling organisations to test applications and strengthen assurance at scale.

More recently, Budget 2026 added further momentum with the announcement of a National AI Council and National AI Missions across four priority sectors, advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance and health care, alongside regulatory sandboxes and enhanced tax incentives.