SINGAPORE, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Singapore businesses are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) with significantly greater confidence and speed than their global peers, positioning the city-state as a strong contender for regional AI hub status, according to PwC's Global AI performance study revealed Monday.
The study found that 67 percent of Singapore businesses have a higher risk appetite for AI investment, compared to just 41 percent globally, while 63 percent of Singapore respondents allocate people and funding based on AI opportunities, above the global average of 51 percent.
Meanwhile, about 43 percent said they are using AI to compete beyond their own sectors, more than double the global average of 20 percent. In addition, 30 percent reported having eliminated outdated information technology (IT) infrastructure, compared with 18 percent globally.
Conducted between July and September 2025, the survey polled more than 1,200 senior executives at large corporations worldwide, including 30 respondents from Singapore. The local sample was dominated by banking and capital markets, technology hardware, and software firms.
While globally 37 percent of firms primarily use AI for analysis, prediction and recommendation, only 20 percent of Singapore respondents do so. Instead, 17 percent of Singapore companies are already using AI in more autonomous and self-optimizing applications, more than double the global rate of 8 percent.
However, PwC noted that despite strong momentum, Singapore still trails global "AI leaders" in several key execution areas.
In governance and risk management, 53 percent of Singapore firms reported having robust, up-to-date cybersecurity protections for AI systems, compared with 69 percent among top-performing global peers. Gaps were also observed in areas including data readiness and operational integration.
The findings come as Singapore accelerates its national AI push. In 2025, Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority and AI Verify Foundation advanced efforts to operationalize trust in generative AI through initiatives such as the Global AI Assurance Pilot.
More recently, Budget 2026 announced plans for a National AI Council and sector-specific AI missions in advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance and healthcare, alongside regulatory sandboxes and enhanced tax incentives. ■