Singaporean organisations are swiftly moving from AI experimentation to widespread adoption, according to OneTrust’s 2026 AI-Ready Governance Report. However, the rapid pace of AI integration is outstripping governance capabilities, leading to significant oversight challenges. The report, based on a survey of 1,200 senior business decision-makers across several countries, highlights Singapore’s leadership in AI governance maturity, with 41% of organisations integrating governance into the AI lifecycle.
Despite this progress, 46% of Singaporean respondents believe that employees have resorted to using unapproved AI tools due to delays in the availability of sanctioned options. Additionally, 57% cite data quality, access, privacy, or security concerns as major obstacles to launching or scaling AI initiatives.
Arran Mulvaney, Regional Director for South East Asia and India at OneTrust, emphasised the need for governance to be an integral part of AI infrastructure. “Governance cannot remain a process that businesses turn to after an incident,” he stated. “It needs to become part of the infrastructure of AI itself and fuel innovation, with the right controls, visibility, and accountability built in from the outset.”
Globally, the report reveals that whilst 87% of organisations encourage AI agent use, only 47% have established clear governance and oversight. This gap has led to widespread AI-related incidents, with 86% of respondents experiencing issues such as data exposure or misinformation in the past year. Despite these challenges, organisations are more inclined to increase employee training rather than slow AI deployment.
As Singapore continues to advance in AI adoption, the focus on robust governance frameworks will be crucial to harnessing AI’s full potential responsibly.
