Updated
Updated · The Business Times · Aug 11
Singapore Firms Lift Revenue 16% and Jobs 8% After AI Adoption, MTI Finds
Updated
Updated · The Business Times · Aug 11

Singapore Firms Lift Revenue 16% and Jobs 8% After AI Adoption, MTI Finds

3 articles · Updated · The Business Times · Aug 11

Summary

  • A new MTI study found Singapore businesses that adopted AI raised revenue 16% and employment 8% within a year, with new hiring more than offsetting any job losses.
  • 8% of companies were identified as AI users through AI-related job postings, with larger firms and those in infocomm, electronics, professional services, finance and insurance more likely to adopt it.
  • Workers earning S$7,000-S$10,000 and those aged 35-44 saw the clearest gains, while AI use also increased demand for higher-skilled foreign Employment Pass holders; broader local hiring rose as AI use deepened.
  • By sector, finance and insurance posted the biggest gains—revenue up 21%, profit up 73% and average local wages up 21%—while wholesale trade saw employment rise 18% and revenue 24%.
  • The report found no statistically significant productivity or profit boost in the first four years overall, suggesting fuller gains may depend on complementary investments and wider AI deployment beyond 2024.

Insights

If AI drives massive revenue spikes, why are broad productivity and profit gains still statistically invisible across most industries?
Why are companies using AI to automate routine tasks actually hiring more workers instead of replacing them?