Singaporeans Open to AI Shopping Agents
- •59 per cent of Singaporeans were open to letting an AI agent shop for them, a Global Payments study found.
- •23 per cent had used an agent, while 15 per cent would let one shop and pay independently.
- •34 per cent wanted government-backed AI safety certification, the highest share among seven surveyed countries.
A Global Payments study released on Wednesday found that 59 per cent of Singaporeans were open to letting an artificial intelligence agent shop for them, and 23 per cent had already used one. The survey covered seven countries, including the United States, China and the United Kingdom. Only 15 per cent of Singaporeans said they would let an agent shop, shortlist products and pay entirely on its own.
Despite that interest, Singaporeans also wanted safeguards before trusting agents with purchases. The study found that 34 per cent wanted government-backed AI safety certification, the highest share among the countries surveyed. Its findings describe a gap between curiosity about agentic AI in personal shopping and comfort with letting it act without human intervention.
Payment companies and AI start-ups are working towards a digital future in which people authorize agents to make purchases on their behalf. The article gives switching insurance policies and designing travel itineraries as examples of tasks agents might handle, while noting the survey’s distinction between browsing and recommending products and completing purchases autonomously.