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Recently, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Lawrence Wong, unveiled Singapore’s National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy 2.0 (NAIS), to use AI more responsibly and yet drive innovation and growth in the field of AI. The NAIS focused on two key goals, one being excellence and empowerment. Excellence refers to AI being able to aid Singapore in resolving global issues like Climate Change and Healthcare. As for empowerment, it is important that AI is used for firms and businesses to use it responsibly and confidently so that they can thrive in a future shaped by AI. Usually, when one hears about AI, they would often be alarmed and their first impression would be that it is something that is a threat to the human race. Yet, what the government is trying to push for is AI as “Augmented Intelligence”, where AI is meant to augment and add value to the work that Singaporeans are already doing. With this, this article seeks to uncover the positive impacts of the NAIS and the utilisation of AI towards Singapore' s society and economy.
Socially, Singapore is expected to harness the power of AI and attempt to aid society and pursue excellence. That was one of the goals stated in the NAIS. A sector expected to benefit from this would be the healthcare sector. Previously, in the past, there have been projects led by AI Singapore, a group of Singapore-based research institutes. AI Singapore came up with several services that benefit public healthcare through AI. Some of these services include, “FoodLg”, a service that utilises AI to analyse and advise the food and nutrient intake for an individual. Another service was MEDDI (Medical digital intermediary) that can sense certain vitals, and a chatbot, which could interact with patients with chronic diseases. Such a service could reduce the toll on hospitals and also allow patients to seek medical advice seamlessly, either from polyclinics or the comfort of their own home. The software, having the ability to detect vital signs would mean it could better keep track of the conditions of these patients. As such, a more widespread adoption of AI could make it more convenient for Singaporeans to seek medical help, something that is key for an ageing society like Singapore.
Another sector that AI could add value to, is the education sector. AI can be used to monitor the learning pace of students on online learning platforms, as a current problem that occurs is that teachers find it difficult to cater to the learning pace of every student. With AI, it can detect students who take longer to finish certain assignments, and students who finish certain assignments faster. Another innovation is in the area of exam marking, where Singapore’s AI Centre for Education Technologies implemented a Softmark programme. How it works is that teachers will scan the exam scripts, mark individual questions via a tablet, but AI will help to tabulate the total scores in the paper, reducing human error and the tedious process of tabulating scores and also marking bulky stacks of exam scripts. Such inventions could elevate the productivity of teachers, as they can spend less time on tedious and taxing work, and focus more on class management, and engaging students in lessons, something that AI and automation would not be able to do. Evidently, this is a clear example of AI “augmenting” the lives of Singaporeans.
Economically, the power of AI will be harnessed, where the workforce will be up-skilled to be able to be somewhat proficient in AI, expand the AI talent pool and push for enterprises to utilise AI. For Singapore’s economy to prosper, and for Singapore to be a leading hub for the development of AI, Singapore can only rely on cultivating a skilled workforce as it does not have the size or fiscal resources to compete with most countries in the world. For a country with a small population, it makes sense for Singapore to look towards foreign talent to grow the AI talent pool. A dedicated team is expected to search and identify top AI creators and incorporate them into Singapore’s workforce. Though, there is a limit to the amount of foreign talent that Singapore can attract. Simultaneously, it would not be wise to simply rely on foreign talents to elevate the AI talent pool in Singapore.
As such, Singapore will have to develop its local workforce. Such efforts need to start in University, with AI being a compulsory introductory module as part of students taking a computer science course in the National University of Singapore. Also, a greater exposure to AI for Singaporean students will benefit them in the long run, in a world where AI becomes a necessity. Such exposure is done through coding lessons and also lessons that introduce how AI can be used and also the ethical considerations to students. For people who are already working, tech companies in Singapore have been offering courses for workers to upskill themselves in the field of AI. Singapore is also expected to scale up and redesign the AI Apprenticeship programme. Also, the government is expected to further the adoption of AI across all enterprises. With Singaporean workers already being the fastest to adopt Ai skills in the world, the government’s efforts to train and scale up AI training for Singaporeans will certainly produce results quickly.
With such adoption of AI, Singapore’s economy will certainly stand to gain. This is so as Singaporean workers are going to be more productive, and will be able to work more efficiently as they weave AI into their daily working. Additionally, having a highly skilled workforce will be important to increase the employability of Singaporeans. The emphasis on training Singaporeans of all ages to be somewhat proficient in the use of AI, is a great step in attracting more companies to set up their firms in Singapore. A higher percentage of Singaporeans being employed will be a plus for Singapore’e economy.
Usually, a big challenge for countries to become a major AI hub is the issue of regulatory frameworks for AI. It is crucial for Singapore to be able to establish a distinct framework on regulating the use of AI to gain the trust of firms, so they can confidently adopt and advance AI in Singapore. “AI Verify” was developed by Singapore’s Infocomm and Media Development Authority (IMDA), which talks about 11 Ethics principles that are consistent with standards set at the OECD and EU level. A foundation was also created, which would allow different stakeholders to discuss and find ideas on how to govern AI. Such an open and transparent approach towards regulating AI can instil confidence in companies setting up in Singapore.
In conclusion, Singapore’s new National AI Strategy is expected to take the country to greater heights and is also essential for Singapore’s growth and development. In the healthcare sector, greater adoption of AI will ease the ability of Singaporeans to seek medical care. In education, utilisation of AI will enhance the productivity of teachers and enhance the education of students. For Singapore’s economy, as youths and employees acquire AI skills, it will increase their employability and also elevate Singapore’s attractiveness for firms to establish themselves in.
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