Singapore's Youth Are AI's Biggest Sceptics, New Survey Finds

A new survey of 1,347 Singaporeans reveals a striking generational divide in attitudes toward artificial intelligence: workers under 35 are the least enthusiastic demographic about generative AI, both at work and in their personal lives — and the scepticism has nothing to do with access to the technology. The AsiaOne poll, conducted between December 2025 and February 2026, found that only 55% of under-35s use GenAI tools weekly at work, compared to 69% of workers aged 35–54 and 64% of those over 55.

The reasons cited by younger Singaporeans go beyond simple reluctance. Concerns include the time spent fact-checking AI output that often exceeds the time saved, degradation of critical thinking skills, the technology's impact on creativity and the arts, and the significant energy and water consumption of AI data centres. One respondent, a 27-year-old executive assistant, noted that "the time spent fact-checking and refining AI-generated text often ends up exceeding the time it would have taken to simply do the task manually." Another, a 24-year-old corporate concierge, raised environmental concerns about using data centre resources for trivial queries that could be handled by a basic search engine.

The net impact scores are stark: among under-35s, the perceived impact of AI on thinking and reasoning registers at negative 0.75 on a scale from +2 to -2, and on arts and culture at negative 0.94 — both firmly in negative territory. In contrast, respondents over 55 view AI's impact positively across both domains. This suggests the resistance is not a simple Luddite reflex but a considered assessment of AI's current limitations, particularly for knowledge work and creative fields where nuance, human emotion, and original thinking still matter.

Why it matters for Singapore: The finding represents a genuine cultural challenge to Singapore's national AI push. If the demographic most native to digital technology is also the most sceptical about AI, then the government's ambitious goals for economy-wide adoption face a significant attitude barrier that training programmes and infrastructure investments alone cannot solve. The survey raises uncomfortable questions for educators, employers, and policymakers: does the scepticism reflect an informed critique that should shape how AI is deployed, or a resistance that needs to be overcome through better communication and demonstrable value? Either way, the answer will shape Singapore's AI trajectory for years to come.