Singapore Launches National AI Strategy to Boost Economy and Social Welfare

Singapore has announced its national strategy on artificial intelligence (AI) for the next decade, aiming to become a leader in developing and deploying scalable, impactful AI solutions in key sectors of high value and relevance to its citizens and businesses.

The National AI Strategy, unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the Singapore FinTech Festival and Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SFF x SWITCH) on Wednesday, outlines the country’s plans to deepen the use of AI to transform its economy, improve the lives of its people, and address national challenges.

The strategy identifies five national AI projects that can deliver strong social and economic impact for Singapore and Singaporeans. These are:

• Healthcare: Chronic disease prediction and management, which will help with faster detection and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Smart estates: Seamless and efficient municipal services, which will enable residents to enjoy more responsive, reliable and timely services such as waste management, pest control and facilities maintenance.
• Education: Personalized education through adaptive learning and assessment, which will help teachers better customize and improve their students’ learning experience and outcomes.
• Border security: Border clearance operations, which will strengthen security while improving travellers’ experience and efficiency.
• Logistics: Intelligent freight planning, which will optimize the movement of freight for greater business productivity and traffic efficiency.

The strategy also outlines how the government, companies and researchers can work together to realize the positive impact from AI, as well as address areas where attention is needed to manage change and/or manage new forms of risks that emerge when AI becomes more pervasive.

To support the strategy, the government will invest up to S$500 million until 2025 to fund AI research, innovation and enterprise. It will also develop homegrown talent across the entire range of AI-related job roles, from researchers and engineers to technicians and operators. In addition, it will establish a new National AI Office to coordinate the AI efforts across the public and private sectors, as well as foster international collaborations.

Mr Heng, who is also the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, said that AI is a key frontier technology that will enable Singapore to build a digital economy and a smart nation.

“AI can also help us to tackle complex challenges that span multiple sectors and domains, such as ageing, healthcare, urban mobility and sustainability. Our National AI Strategy is a key step in our Smart Nation journey. By enhancing our capabilities and competencies in AI, we can create a better future for ourselves, and provide opportunities for the world,” he said.