What I Learned at Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore 2025

I spent last week in Singapore at Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore, our second time hosting this event in the thriving city-state. Here are some of the key thoughts and impressions I took away from the conference:

The Pace of AI Adoption Is Equally Fast Everywhere

Unlike previous technological waves where Asia lagged behind the U.S., Europe, and China, AI adoption is happening at an equally fast and ambitious pace across all regions.

Everyone Wants AI Agents, But Few Are Using Them Yet

AI agents from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and others are now available, but adoption still trails hype globally. This is because agents are inherently higher risk and often unreliable. Making them more dependable—such as deploying multiple agents with task-specific roles and cross-checking—is expensive. Vivek Luthra, Accenture’s Asia-Pacific data and AI lead, noted most businesses currently use AI to assist human workers or as decision-support advisors rather than automating entire workflows. However, he predicts by 2028, one-third of large companies will deploy AI agents, automating about 15% of daily workflows, driven by falling costs, improved model reliability, and workflow redesign.

AI’s Impact on the Job Market Is Not Yet Clear

Pei Ying Chua, LinkedIn’s APAC head economist, shared that despite anecdotal reports of young graduates struggling to find work, LinkedIn data shows little evidence of this yet. However, coders face increased competition, requiring more applications per job. Madhu Kurup (Indeed) and Sun Sun Lim (Singapore Management University) emphasized the growing importance of AI skills—such as prompting, agent-building, and understanding AI strengths and weaknesses—alongside human soft skills like flexibility, resilience, and critical thinking. Jess O’Reilly, Workday’s general manager for ASEAN, foresees AI driving organizational shifts toward dynamic, project-based teams resembling an “internal gig economy,” replacing traditional vertical structures with flatter, more flexible ones.

Infrastructure Is Destiny

Access to AI infrastructure is critical, even for countries not building their own models. Running AI models (“inference”) demands significant AI chip capacity. Rangu Salgame, CEO of Princeton Digital Group, explained that near-term data center expansion in Asia will likely rely on fossil fuels, especially natural gas, posing challenges for climate goals. However, AI data centers could catalyze medium-term growth in renewable energy capacity like solar and offshore wind.

Sovereign AI Matters but Is Challenging to Deliver

Governments want sovereign AI to avoid overdependence on U.S. and Chinese technologies. Open-source models offer some options, but major constraints remain:

• High costs for data center capacity, power plants, and grid upgrades.
• The need to train AI models on local languages and cultural nuances, requiring curated local datasets.
Kasima Tharnpipitchai, head of AI strategy at SCB 10X, stressed that building such models is “almost brute force” effort without shortcuts.

Embodied AI Is China’s Big Strength

While AI model capabilities appear evenly matched between the U.S. and China, China leads in “embodied AI”—AI integrated into physical devices like robotaxis and humanoid robots. Rui Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China, highlighted China’s dominance in the robotics supply chain and rapid progress in affordable, practical robots for factories and general-purpose humanoid robots. For example, the humanoid robot Terri, combining software from Hong Kong’s Auki Labs and hardware from China’s Unitree, impressed conference attendees.

Singapore Finds a Middle Path Between the U.S. and China

Singapore’s digital minister Josephine Teo described the country’s role as a bridge between the two superpowers. In April, Singapore hosted a meeting of AI safety researchers from the U.S., China, and elsewhere, resulting in the “Singapore Consensus”—an agreement that AI systems should be reliable, secure, aligned with human values, and that cooperation is essential to achieve this.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the general pace of AI adoption globally? AI adoption is happening at an equally fast and ambitious pace across all regions, with Asia not lagging behind the U.S., Europe, and China as in previous technological waves. What is the current status of AI agent adoption? While AI agents from major providers are available, their adoption is still lower than the hype due to higher risks and unreliability. Businesses are primarily using AI to assist human workers or as decision-support tools, rather than fully automating workflows. What are the key skills needed in the evolving job market due to AI? In addition to traditional soft skills like flexibility and critical thinking, there's a growing importance for AI-specific skills such as prompting, agent-building, and understanding AI's strengths and weaknesses. How is AI expected to impact organizational structures? AI is predicted to drive organizational shifts towards more dynamic, project-based teams, resembling an "internal gig economy," with flatter, more flexible structures replacing traditional vertical hierarchies. What is the significance of AI infrastructure? Access to AI infrastructure, particularly AI chip capacity, is critical for running AI models, even for countries not developing their own. What are the challenges associated with Sovereign AI? Building sovereign AI faces challenges related to the high costs of data center capacity, power infrastructure, and grid upgrades. Additionally, training AI models on local languages and cultural nuances requires curated local datasets.

Crypto Market AI's Take

The insights from Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore 2025 highlight the rapid yet uneven adoption of AI, particularly the burgeoning field of AI agents. At Crypto Market AI, we are keenly observing these trends as they directly impact the financial landscape. Our platform leverages advanced AI, including sophisticated AI agents, to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and trading solutions. We focus on making AI accessible and reliable for users, understanding the need for dependable systems in financial applications. Our commitment is to develop AI tools that not only analyze but also assist in strategic decision-making within the volatile crypto market, ensuring users have the support they need to navigate this evolving space.

More to Read:

• AI Agents: Capabilities, Risks, and Growing Role
• AI-Driven Crypto Trading Tools Reshape Market Strategies in 2025
• The Pace of AI Adoption is Equally Fast Everywhere: Insights from Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore 2025

This article was originally published by Jeremy Kahn at Fortune on July 29, 2025.