Singapore embraces AI for everyday solutions

Extending beyond the introduction of AI to enhance customer service in the workplace, Singapore now aims to leverage AI for addressing various everyday problems.

One of the new additions is planned for booking sports courts using AI. To book a badminton court at one of Singapore’s more than 100 community centres, citizens need to enter details such as time slot and location on the website until they find an available option. Thanks to AI, the time and effort spent on such actions will be reduced significantly.

The People’s Association worked with government technology agencies to create a chatbot that will help residents make reservations in the country’s four official languages.

The chatbot project was one of more than 100 generative AI solutions created as part of AI Trailblazers, which launched last year to find everyday solutions using AI. Government agencies in Singapore and Google supported this project.

According to Minister for Communications and Information, Josephine Teo, such a project is part of a strategy in the field of AI in Southeast Asia, which does not require regulation and is focused on “AI for all.”

“Regulations are certainly part of good governance, but in AI, we have to make sure there is good infrastructure to support the activities,” she said at a demonstrating briefing last month at Google’s Singapore office.

One of the main goals of such AI innovations is to enable people to develop the skills that will allow them to use these tools confidently.

Unlike other countries that seek to mitigate the negative effects of AI through disinformation and the spread of deepfakes, in Singapore the main focus is on the implementation of AI in the public sector and industry. 

Denise Wong, an assistant chief executive at Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), responsible for overseeing the country’s digital strategy, highlighted the country’s approach. Instead of focusing on strict regulations, Singapore is committed to developing a robust ecosystem. 

Wong emphasized the importance of creating an environment that promotes research, skills development and collaboration to ensure responsible and confident use of AI by the public. This strategy is consistent with the country’s commitment to protecting its ecosystem while harnessing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.

“So we need an ecosystem where companies are comfortable, that allows for innovation and to deploy in a way that is safe and responsible, which in turn brings trust,” she said.

Since releasing its first national AI strategy in 2019, Singapore has begun testing generative AI tools in sports fields and is using them in schools and government agencies. In December last year, it published its second national strategy with the mission of “AI for the public good, for Singapore and the world.” 

“We want to enable everyone to use AI responsibly. But governments cannot do this on their own,” Wong said.