Respondents from12 of most developed markets in the APAC region were polled for insights into their organizations’ AI plans, strategies

In an Feb/Mar 2024 survey of 2,409 employees across 12 markets in the Asia Pacific* region (APAC) on workforce trends involving AI, some notable trends were disclosed.

First, 80% of respondents’ employers were using AI or considering the idea. The top five markets in this group were ranked in the downward order of New Zealand (99%), India (91%), Vietnam (87%), Taiwan (85%) and China (84%). The lowest adoption rates were found in Australia (40%), Korea (34%) and Malaysia (30%) respondents.

Second, 49% of respondents’ employers were indicated as planning on implementing internal policies governing AI usage within a year, to address talent development, infrastructure and ethical frameworks to harness the potential of AI fully.

Third, the top three most used/considered AI applications were AI chatbots/virtual assistants (28%), customer service applications (25%) and marketing work (22%).

Other findings

In addition to the above trends, other findings in the respondents’ data include:

    • The top five reasons cited by respondents for adopting AI were to: increase efficiency (51%), increase productivity (44%), reduce operational costs and increase cost-efficiency (35%), reduce the risk of human error (32%) and remain competitive (29%).
    • Information technology teams (40%), human resources functions (39%) and customer service operations (37%) were the most impacted by AI adoption in respondents’ organizations.
    • The top three strategies for bridging the skills gap impacting AI technology implementation were indicated as: internal upskilling (18%), training and knowledge sharing for AI-related skills (14%) and supporting employees in obtaining AI certification and education(14%).
    • The skills considered most critical for sustaining AI adoption were indicated as: creativity and innovation (43%), adaptability and flexibility (42%), critical thinking and problem-solving (39%), analytical abilities (38%), communication and collaboration (36%), digital literacy (36%) and project management abilities (29%).

According to the report commissioned by PERSOLKELLY, the pace of AI-linked change in regional workforces is expected to accelerate further, so employees and businesses alike cannot afford to stagnate.

The report concluded with five tips for APAC CEOs: invest strategically in AI; develop an AI-ready workforce; differentiate between AI hype and reality; optimize operations or exit underperforming segments; and drive growth through strategic partnerships/mergers and acquisitions.

*Including firms in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam with 10 to more-than-250 employees in 13 industries