Gen Z is bringing its own AI to work. Singapore’s SMEs need rules, not bans

What happened

Young workers in Singapore are not waiting for their employers to roll out AI. They are already using it, often on personal devices and often without anyone watching.

According to “What Gen Z Workers Want 2026”, a study commissioned by Deel and conducted with YouGov and ThinkerTank, 49 per cent of Singapore workers aged 18 to 29 say AI makes them more productive at work.

In Australia, surveyed in the same study, the figure is 33 per cent. Adoption is running ahead of oversight The productivity gain is real, but how young workers are getting it is largely invisible to employers.