ABBYY Study Finds Singaporean Business Leaders Disagree on Who Has Ultimate Responsibility When AI Goes Wrong
Research reveals universal AI adoption, strong human oversight, and a widening gap between trust and control
New global research commissioned by ABBYY reveals that AI now touches every business in Singapore, yet leaders remain divided over who should ultimately answer when AI systems produce harmful or incorrect outputs.
The ABBYY Who Answers for AI: The Governance Gap report surveyed 1,200 senior managers in businesses of 100+ employees across the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, and Singapore, and Opinium conducted the study. In Singapore, 100% of organizations use AI technology, yet only 15% completely trust it to produce accurate outputs. On the question of responsibility, Singapore leaders lean toward shared accountability more than any other market, with 41% believing responsibility should sit jointly with the organization and the vendor, compared with 31% globally.
Universal adoption meets a trust gap
While 100% of surveyed organizations in Singapore reported using AI, confidence has not kept pace. Just 43% net trust AI systems to operate without introducing unacceptable risks, and only 50% net trust AI to protect confidential information. Regulatory confidence sits slightly higher, with 53% trusting AI to comply with applicable regulations. Confidential data leakage ranks as the top AI-related security concern, and 83% of leaders say they worry about the legal and reputational risks of AI non-compliance, as well as becoming dependent on one or more AI providers, which could reduce long-term trust and returns.
Human oversight anchors AI governance
Singapore stands out for its strong human-in-the-loop culture. Only 6% of organizations report no formal approach to human oversight, one of the lowest figures across the survey. This commitment to keeping people involved in important AI decisions reflects a market that values control alongside innovation.
Governance drives better outcomes
Effective governance is helping Singapore organizations realize greater value from AI. Nine in 10 (90%) have a formal AI governance framework in place, and 85% say governance has made their AI initiatives more successful. Governance also made it easier to develop (50%), scale (52%), and encourage adoption of AI systems (60%). Encouragingly, 85% of organizations have assessed whether their AI systems can navigate different geographical regions, signaling maturity on data sovereignty.
Even so, tension remains. Nearly half (49%) agree that AI is being adopted faster than their organization can effectively govern it, while 73% believe their governance approach balances risk mitigation with the speed of AI delivery. Data quality stands as the single biggest barrier to greater ROI, cited by 20% of leaders. Understanding accountability also thins further down the organization: 92% of senior leadership know who is responsible for managing AI, but that awareness drops among junior employees.
Businesses are embracing AI, but our research shows that many are still struggling with key questions around accountability, governance and ROI. Senior management need to do a better job of communicating what their responsible AI policies are companywide. In addition, AI requires organizations to know where data comes from, whether it can be trusted, how it can be used, and where it is stored and processed. As data sovereignty grows in importance, a shift toward machine-readable controls that govern data throughout its lifecycle is required to ensure consistent compliance.
Roman Kilun, Chief Compliance Officer at ABBYY
Organizations we work with are moving beyond pilots and proofs of concept into execution, and clear frameworks and a shared understanding of responsibility are critical to building confidence in AI. At ABBYY, we’re committed to being transparent about our own governance approach and supporting customers on that journey.
Roman Kilun, Chief Compliance Officer at ABBYY
Access the full 2026 ABBYY Who Answers for AI: The Governance Gap report for more information.
Find more information about how ABBYY improves data governance through the document AI standard DocLang, and its commitment to secure, transparent and resilient cloud services through its AI risk management policy and BSI C5 initiatives.
Methodology
Opinium research of 1,200 senior managers or above in companies of 100+ employees in the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, and Singapore. Research undertaken between 15 July and 3 August 2026.
