Singapore's AI Rhythm: Where Are We, Where's the Demand, and What Do the Latest Numbers Say?
I found this live is interesting>> Register now
Speakers are Kenny Tay, CEO of the Singapore A.I. Association and Founder of AI49 International Group, alongside Kenny Loh, Licensed Wealth Advisory Director & S-REITs Investment Expert, to unpack how AI is reshaping business strategy and where the next SGX investment opportunities sit.
📅 Date: 29 July 2026
⏰ Time: 20:00–21:00 SGT
Then I did some research: Singaporeans are personally all-in on AI, enterprises are still climbing the adoption curve, the government is pouring money into infrastructure, and compute demand is exploding.
📊 The Latest Numbers (2026)
|
Metric |
Figure |
Source |
|
Working population using AI |
53% (3rd globally, behind India 59% and UAE 58%) |
Omnibound 2026 |
|
SME adoption rate |
14.5% (up from just 4.2% in 2023 — tripled in one year) |
IMDA 2025 |
|
Large enterprise adoption |
62.5% (up from 44% in 2023) |
IMDA 2025 |
|
Employees using AI at work |
73.8%, most using it multiple times a week or daily |
IMDA 2025 |
|
Overall enterprise adoption |
Only 28.5% of businesses have started using AI; 71.5% haven't moved yet |
MOM April 2026 |
|
Deeply embedded in core processes |
Just 3.8% |
MOM April 2026 |
|
Compute demand growth |
Nearly 4x growth in first 4 months of 2026 |
Bank of Singapore 2026 |
🏃 Adoption Pace: Three Distinct Layers
Layer 1: Individuals / Employees — Already Running
-
73.8% of employees use AI in their daily work. ChatGPT, Perplexity — they're basically standard issue now.
-
Among Singapore B2B buyers, 73% use AI tools for procurement research (they ask AI before they Google suppliers).
-
AI search traffic converts at 4x the rate of traditional Google organic.
Layer 2: Large Enterprises — Active but Shallow
-
76.4% of firms with 500+ employees have adopted AI, but most are still in "pilot" or "planning" mode.
-
Only 3.8% have truly embedded AI into core business workflows.
-
Highest adoption by sector: Information & Communications (74.1%), Professional Services (57.5%), Finance & Insurance (56.4%).
Layer 3: SMEs — Just Starting but Accelerating Fast
-
Tripled from 4.2% to 14.5% in one year, largely driven by government PSG grants.
-
SMEs that adopted AI through PSG reported average cost savings of 52%.
-
But the pain points are real: high costs (44.9%), lack of talent (42.4%), no clear strategy (32.4%).
🎯 Where's the Demand? Four National AI Battlegrounds
The Singapore government has identified National AI Missions — here's where the money and policy firepower are going:
|
Sector |
Demand Highlights |
SGX-Listed Play Logic |
|
Advanced Manufacturing |
AI-powered smart factories; A*STAR has already supported ~30 companies in deploying AI solutions |
Precision engineering, semiconductor equipment, testing |
|
Finance |
48% of finance workers worry about AI impact, but 51% already use AI tools daily |
Fintech, data services |
|
Healthcare |
AI for Science initiatives, complex scenarios like vaccine R&D |
Medtech, biotech |
|
Connectivity & Logistics |
New transport & warehousing incorporations up +32.6% YoY, e-commerce logistics booming |
Data centre REITs, logistics real estate |
The Hidden Big Demand: Data Centres & Compute
-
Singapore is Southeast Asia's most mature data centre hub, capturing 99% of regional AI infrastructure financing.
-
But land and power constraints are pushing new demand to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
-
South & Southeast Asia data centres: 24% CAGR over next 4-5 years, operational capacity exceeding 3.5GW, potentially doubling by 2030.
💰 How Much Real Money Is the Government Putting In?
-
S$1 billion: Public AI R&D funding over next 5 years
-
400% tax deduction: On qualifying AI spending, capped at S$50K per year (tax years 2027–2028)
-
OpenAI partnership: Over S$300M, establishing the first Applied AI Lab outside the US, targeting 200+ tech roles
-
Kampong AI: New AI precinct at One-North, clustering startups, research institutes, and tech giants
-
Target: 100,000 AI-ready talent by 2029
-
Champions of AI programme: Supporting enterprise AI transformation with customised roadmaps
⚡ One Sentence for Investors
Singapore's AI story isn't about whether — it's about how fast and how deep. Individuals and employees are already all-in. Large enterprises are stuck in the "pilot-to-production" gap. SMEs are just getting started on government subsidies. The real demand explosion is in "helping businesses turn AI from a toy into a productivity tool" — and the compute infrastructure powering all of it.
That's why when Kenny Loh talks SGX AI plays — precision engineering, semiconductor testing, data centre REITs — the "shovel seller" logic is rock solid. Singapore itself is frantically buying shovels.
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

真正的投资机会可能不只在AI软件公司,而在“卖铲子”的基础设施环节,例如半导体测试、精密工程、数据中心REIT和能源冷却系统。因为无论哪种模型胜出,都离不开算力和实体基础设施。
不过,政策投入能否转化为企业利润,关键仍是中小企业采用率、项目落地速度和数据中心回报率。我的策略是优先关注已有订单和现金流的基础设施公司,而不是只追概念。
To me, the biggest winners may not be AI applications, but the infrastructure behind them. As enterprise adoption grows, demand for data centres, semiconductor testing, precision engineering and digital infrastructure should continue to rise. These are the "shovel sellers" of the AI era.
I'm optimistic about Singapore's AI ecosystem. With strong government support and rising compute demand, I believe SGX-listed AI infrastructure companies have a long growth runway. My focus is on accumulating quality businesses that can benefit as AI adoption accelerates.
@AI_FocusedTrader @TigerStars @TigerClub @Tiger_comments