39% of Singapore sellers use AI in their business, but cost and time hurdles remain

SINGAPORE: About four in 10 (39%) Singapore sellers reportedly use artificial intelligence (AI) in their business—slightly higher than the regional average, according to Lazada and Kantar’s Bridging the AI Gap: Online Seller Perceptions and Adoption Trends in Southeast Asia report, according to Singapore Business Review.

According to The Manila Times, the report looked at AI adoption across five key areas of a seller’s business—operations and logistics, product management, marketing and advertising, customer service, and workforce management. Based on the average score sellers achieved in each area, the report identified three types of sellers: AI Adepts, AI Aspirants, and AI Agnostics, reflecting their readiness to fully embrace AI.

The report, which surveyed 1,214 online sellers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, including 200 from Singapore, noted that Singapore has the highest number of “AI Adepts” (29%)—sellers who use AI in at least 80% of their operations— just behind Thailand (30%).

It also found that while 68% of sellers in the region are aware of AI, the actual use of the technology is lower. Sellers believe AI is involved in 47% of their operations, but only 37% are actually using it.

However, while 89% of sellers believe AI boosts productivity, 61% remain unsure of its overall usefulness. In addition, 93% of sellers believe AI is cost-efficient long-term, but 64% cited that implementation costs and time requirements will be barriers.

In terms of upskilling, 93% of sellers agreed it is essential to fully leverage AI, but 75% of their employees said they still prefer using familiar and manual tools over AI systems. /TISG

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