As nations compete for AI dominance, Singapore is carving out a niche for itself

COMFORT USING AI

Another hurdle to overcome is helping people feel comfortable using AI and ensuring they have a clear understanding of how it works, which is essential for the smooth adoption of AI across industries.

Mr Feng Yuzhang, the head of AI practice at Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech), said that implementing AI solutions often requires changes in workflows, which is sometimes met with resistance.

“So, the first step is to be open and learn how the technology can help you. Second, it’s also about creating deliberate opportunities, like hackathons or ideathons, where people can share ideas and experiment with new technologies,” he said.

“These events allow teams to build prototypes and demonstrate how technology can improve workflows, helping people see the tangible benefits.”

Mr Feng added that having well-thought-out AI solutions that sufficiently address business pain points can improve AI adoption and effectiveness.

HOW IMPORTANT IS COMMERCIALISATION?

Even if these challenges can be overcome, what does it mean for Singapore to be a global leader in AI?

The Republic might be considered a trailblazer in terms of setting international standards for AI governance, such as launching the world’s first Model AI Governance Framework in 2019.

But Singapore does not have a commercialised consumer-facing product like ChatGPT to boast about.

What it does have is SEA-LION (Southeast Asian Languages in One Network), an AI tool that can generate content based on Southeast Asian language and cultural nuances.

The large language model created by national programme AI Singapore may be the first in the region – but is this really a major achievement when the average person on the street is unlikely to have heard about it?

To this, Dr David Hardoon, the chief executive officer of AI solutions company Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI), said: “If we only pursued things that seemed exciting at the moment, innovations like ChatGPT wouldn’t exist.

“It doesn’t bother me because (the public) will only get excited about it when it’s introduced to them, perhaps years later.”

Dr Hardoon added that meaningful discoveries often come from sustained effort, which takes time, patience, and investment.

So this does not mean SEA-LION is not worthwhile — experts said there is value in creating a sovereign AI that ensures a model is independent of external influences.

Prof Kan of NUS sees it as a meaningful niche for Singapore as its culture and heritage differ from those of its Western counterparts.

“(The project) can also serve as a testbed for understanding ethical issues and value systems imbued in AI models.”

PwC’s Dr Soon agreed, and said that every country needs its own sovereign AI trained on its unique set of data, which includes “culture, language, and colloquialisms — things unique to us”.

“We need to build our own AI based on our data to project our core values globally, ensuring our AI reflects qualities like trustworthiness and resilience, rather than solely relying on open-source models from elsewhere,” he added.

Mr Tham of Accenture said large language models will transform workplace operations significantly.

According to research conducted by his firm, around 44 per cent of current work tasks could be automated or enhanced by these models, highlighting their potential to drive efficiency and reshape job roles across industries.

“By capitalising on this niche, Singapore can distinguish itself as a leader in driving regional and domestic innovation in AI, while building the nation’s capabilities in AI R&D (research and development) and talent development.”

Instead of focusing on commercialisation, Dr Hardoon argued that Singapore could play a significant role in AI development by shifting its focus to a more research-driven approach due to its “excellent” position as a melting pot.

“This makes it an ideal location for integrating different pieces of AI research and applications, and Singapore could leverage this to become a hub where diverse AI technologies are brought together to solve real-world problems.”