Agentic AI Adoption in Singapore Research Set to Nearly Triple, Qualtrics Finds

Agentic AI is poised to transform how Singapore businesses make decisions, with adoption of autonomous research systems projected to nearly triple from 15% to 44% within the next 6 to 12 months, according to new global data from Qualtrics. The shift reflects a widening gap between the speed at which leaders need to act and the pace at which traditional research can deliver evidence.

The Qualtrics data, drawn from global research industry benchmarks, reveals that 95% of researchers are already using AI for specific tasks such as drafting, summarising, and data cleaning. But the next wave goes far beyond task automation. Three-quarters of researchers are now experimenting with or integrating agentic AI systems that can design studies, field them to synthetic and human audiences, and return decision-ready answers in hours instead of weeks. Seventy per cent believe these agents will soon facilitate more than half of all end-to-end research projects.

The implications are particularly acute for Singapore's lean, regional decision-making teams. When a market entry or pricing call cannot wait three weeks for a commissioned study, leaders are forced to bet on instinct. Agentic AI directly addresses this tension by collapsing the insight cycle from weeks to hours, while maintaining methodological rigour through embedded validation. Fonterra, for example, is already using Qualtrics' synthetic and conversational AI for consumer concept testing, replacing guesswork with data-driven precision at significantly lower cost.

However, the article — authored by Hui Ching Tan, Qualtrics' Head of Research Insights for APJ — warns that speed without grounding creates a new risk: output that sounds authoritative but is not anchored in real data. The solution rests on four criteria: embedded proven methodology, the ability to say "I don't know" and commission new fieldwork, synthetic audiences built on validated survey responses, and a clear line from insight to action. Booking.com's parallel synthetic and human panel study validated that AI-modelled audiences produce the same variance within segments, demonstrating the approach is methodologically sound.

Why it matters for Singapore: With decision cycles shortening across the economy and lean teams supporting regional and global mandates, Singapore businesses face a structural choice — either build the capability to surface evidence at the moment of decision, or continue betting on instinct. The Qualtrics data suggests the technology is ready, and adoption is accelerating. The window for building this advantage is narrowing, and the organisations that invest over the next year will reshape how their leadership teams make every call.