Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announces a new council to guide Singapore’s AI development, aiming to scale up national use and ensure technology serves the people.

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the establishment of a national council on artificial intelligence to provide strategic direction for the technology’s use.

Wong, who is also finance minister, made the announcement while unveiling the national budget in parliament.

He said AI is advancing at a remarkable speed with immense potential to raise productivity and transform lives.

While acknowledging concerns about misinformation and job displacement, Wong urged the nation to confront the technology.

“Fear cannot be Singapore’s response,” he stated.

“If we allow uncertainty to paralyse us, we will fall behind in a world that is moving rapidly ahead.”

He stressed that Singapore must move beyond individual pilots and scale up AI use at a national level across industries.

“We must act with clarity and resolve,” Wong said.

“AI is a powerful tool, but it is still a tool. It must serve our national interest and our people.”

Wong will chair the new AI council, which is tasked with driving the country’s AI agenda.

The city-state has increasingly turned to technology to overcome constraints like limited natural resources and an ageing population.

The government last month said it would invest more than Sg$1 billion (USD 793 million) in public AI research through 2030.

“We define how AI is developed and used in Singapore,” Wong said.

“We will set clear rules to ensure it is applied responsibly and safely.”

 The Sun Malaysia