Office workers in SEA are among the most receptive to AI, and use technology to overcome challenges to productivity and efficiency

Adobe released new research revealing that almost 50 percent of office workers in Southeast Asia (SEA) rate access to technology above perks like food and slick office design. “The Future of Work: APAC Study” engaged close to 5,000 office workers from 10 countries across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region – with 346 responses from SEA, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand – and examined how the roles of people, experiences and machines are evolving and transforming workplaces.

Workplace technology key to market success
Across APAC, organizations investing in workplace technology are more likely to be successful in the market. The survey found 89% of employees who rate their companies as above-average business performers also believe their companies are technology-focused (compared to 64% of those who say their company is a below-average performer). In fact, employees of successful businesses are over two times more likely to rate their organization as ‘extremely focused’ on technology, when compared to those who rate their companies as below-average performing businesses. 

“In the era of the Experience Business, organizations in SEA have realized that outstanding customer experiences hinge on their ability to attract the best people. Hence, businesses are ramping up efforts to invest in workplace technologies to drive efficiency and productivity, and deliver a compelling experience for employees”, said V.R. Srivatsan, Managing Director, Adobe Southeast Asia.

Man vs. machine
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have helped automate an increasing number of work functions that are changing the productivity paradigm. SEA respondents (40%) were among the least concerned in APAC (46%) when asked about the impact of AI and machine learning on their jobs. In SEA, 97% of respondents were interested in using AI to perform mundane office tasks – above the APAC average of 93%. 

Enabling work-life balance with technology
The survey found...