Closing Remarks by Minister Josephine Teo at the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET): The Role of Science in International AI Governance Panel Session

Good morning, everyone.

First, allow me to thank the Secretary General for his remarks. It serves as a very useful guidance to all of us working on this important technology.

For the closing remarks, I thought it would be useful to offer a perspective from a small state. Singapore has a population of just 6 million people, and more than 30 years ago, at the United Nations (UN), we became the convener of the Forum of Small States, which still has about 108 members.

I will just make three points on how we look at developments on this front.

The first point is that we believe in AI being used as a force for the public good. But in doing so, it is important that we continue to invest in the science that underpins it, and ground trust in evidence.

1. This certainly requires sustained investment in research. It is also the reason why we set aside a $1 billion investment in the National AI R&D Plan, which will include foundational and applied research into responsible AI. We believe in it, and we have to put money behind this effort.

2. There are, of course, other investments, such as in building up a Digital Trust Centre. It is our designated AI Safety Institute that has been participating in important conversations on this topic, as well as setting up a Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety -- those are just some of the efforts that we can dedicate resources to as a small state.

The second point I want to make is that there is almost always going to be a tension between moving quickly, given the pace of AI development, and moving carefully, given the latest evidence that presents itself on what we should be paying attention to.

1. Both impulses are necessary, and we believe that it is not impossible to try and balance them through the integration of science and policy.

2. It is not easy, but it’s not an effort that we must give up on. I should just add that on this score, it will be much better if we can cooperate internationally to develop sound approaches that can also be interoperable across different jurisdictions, and this is one effort that we believe underpins the work that is being carried out by the UN.

This brings me to my third point. I want to highlight the important role that an organisation like the United Nations plays in facilitating global discourse to bridge science and policy. I cannot overemphasise the importance of this effort.

1. We must recognise that the global AI governance landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented – there are multiple initiatives, frameworks, and institutions.

2. The UN's unique value lies in its legitimacy and inclusiveness to encourage interoperability across efforts.

3. We, therefore, welcome the establishment of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, building on the work of the UN High-Level Advisory Body on AI, which published its report on Governing AI for Humanity at the end of 2024.

4. We note that the Panel's multidisciplinary approach -- machine learning, applied AI, social science, and ethics – is necessary to address the complexity of AI governance challenges.

Finally, I would just like to acknowledge that we now have substantial convergence on the high-level AI principles. Yoshua talked about this -- transparency, accountability, fairness, and safety – but the challenge is in operationalising them.

We need to find standardised evaluation methodologies that work across different regulatory contexts. We need capacity building so that all countries can meaningfully engage with the technical evidence, and not just those with the large AI research ecosystems.

I would encourage all stakeholders to view scientific input not as a constraint on policy flexibility, but as a foundation for more durable, effective governance that can maintain public trust.

We need to keep the conversations going, one where science informs governance and governance sharpens science.

I would just perhaps end by highlighting Singapore's continued commitment to contributing to advancing these discussions.

We were very fortunate to host the International Scientific Exchange on AI Safety and to bring about the Singapore Consensus on Global AI Safety Research Priorities. Yoshua was in Singapore for this very momentous event.

We will continue to participate in joint testing efforts of the International Network for Advanced AI Measurement, Evaluation and Science. We have organised two editions of the Singapore AI Safety Red Teaming Challenge, the first multicultural and multilingual AI safety red teaming exercise focused on the Asia Pacific region.

And as chair of the ASEAN Working Group on AI Governance, we have actively spearheaded efforts to foster a trusted environment in ASEAN by adapting global norms and best practices for ASEAN and bringing about regional harmonisation through the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics, as well as expanding it to address the risks in generative AI.

We are now working within ASEAN to explore practical tools for AI safety testing and aim to collectively develop a set of AI safety benchmarks that reflect our region's concerns.

And finally, I'd like to welcome all colleagues to join us in Singapore for the second edition of the International Scientific Exchange, which we expect to take place on the 17th and 18th of May, and we look forward to furthering our discussions in this area. Thank you very much once again.