Global Experts Identify Critical Questions of AI Development & Deployment at SCAI

Global Experts Identify Critical Questions of AI Development and Deployment at Singapore Conference on AI

6 December 2023

The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Smart Nation Group, in partnership with Topos Institute, are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the inaugural Singapore Conference on AI for the Global Good (SCAI). The conference, held from 4 to 6 December 2023, brought together 42 delegates from around the world to discuss and identify the SCAI Questions - critical questions of AI that if answered systematically, will enable the harnessing of AI for the global good.

SCAI delegates from various countries representing diverse fields of academia, industry, and government engaged in divergent ideation and deep conversations to identify challenges and opportunities in leveraging AI for the global good. Across the three days, they explored various topics across broad themes in AI, identified key clusters of challenges, and built upon each other’s comments and critiques to develop a set of holistic, foundational and tractable problem statements, also known as the SCAI Questions.

The SCAI Questions are as follows:

• Reliability & Trustworthiness: How do we ensure that AI models and systems are reliable and trustworthy?

• Data Collection & Sharing: How can we create a data collection and sharing ecosystem that produces high-quality data for AI, which can be shared and exploited within and across countries?

• Governance Structures & Regulatory Measures: What are optimal governance structures and regulatory measures for AI?

• Solving Scientific Problems: How should we advance AI to solve scientific problems that are critical and beneficial to humanity as a whole?

• Models & Architecture Derived from Natural Intelligence: How do we leverage developmental models and architecture derived from natural intelligence to create new paradigms of AI?

• Values & Norms to Align AI: Elicitation & Implementation: How do we elicit the values and norms to which we wish to align AI systems, and implement them?

• Equitable Access, Control & Fair Competition: Where in the AI ecosystem should we ensure equitable access, control and fair competition? How should we address these concerns?

• Transforming Education: How can we use AI to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and accessibility of education across societies around the world?

• Mitigating Catastrophic Risks & Ongoing Harms: How can we mitigate the catastrophic risks and ongoing harms arising from AI, recognising that there are diverse opinions on the severity, probability, time sensitivity, and recoverability of these risks and harms?

• Combating Mis/disinformation Campaigns: What are the appropriate speed bumps and incentives for content channels to reduce the negative impact of mis/disinformation campaigns?

• A Framework for Effective AI Adoption for Social Good: How can AI adopters effectively evaluate and apply AI models for social good?

• Methodologies for AI Safety Evaluation: How can we establish and uphold methodologies for AI safety evaluation?

Each of the 12 SCAI Questions is meant to be a comprehensive articulation of a foundational, yet tractable area of AI development and/or deployment. They were identified through rigorous debate and conceptualised through a process designed to synthesise diverse views from distinguished experts attending SCAI. Delegates not only explain why these Questions are critical to enabling AI for the global good, but also outline possible indicators of how we might track progress in addressing these Questions. As a result, the collective SCAI Questions are intended as a comprehensive set of challenges to help drive the global AI agenda. They can steer research goals and policy directions for the world, and serve as inspiration to a broad audience on how to approach AI development and deployment with the global good in mind.

The SCAI Questions will be published on the SCAI website (scai.gov.sg). We encourage participation in post-conference activities and discussions, which will be announced on our official channels.

Jointly issued by Ministry of Communications and Information, and Smart Nation Group

For media enquiries, please contact:

Cristiano Peswani (Mr)
Manager, Communications and Engagement Division
Smart Nation Group
Tel: 9674 5524
Email: cristiano_peswani@pmo.gov.sg

About Ministry of Communications and Information

The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) oversees the development of the infocomm technology, cyber security, and media sectors; the national library, national archives and public libraries; as well as the Government’s information and public communication policies. MCI’s mission is to engage hearts and minds to achieve a thriving digital future for all.

About Smart Nation Group

The Smart Nation Group, part of the Prime Minister’s Office and administered by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), plays a multifaceted role in guiding Singapore's digital transformation and leading the development of Smart Nation strategies. In addition to driving the digitalisation of government services, the group oversees the development and application of digital technologies and capabilities across Singapore. It also promotes digital inclusivity, while regulating data and online activities, and strengthening digital security. Through its comprehensive approach, the group strives to create a digitally empowered and inclusive society, positioning Singapore as a global leader in the digital era.