Opening Address by MOS Rahayu Mahzam at AICon @ BeyondXpo

Hi everyone! Good morning.

Thank you for inviting me to the inaugural AICon.

We are entering a new era where AI is widely accessible, and reshaping how we live, work and interact.

This presents exciting opportunities for our enterprises and our workers – from AI-driven coding tools to automated content generation, adoption is no longer limited to specific sectors or research labs.

Many companies have been encouraging their workers to experiment with AI tools to boost productivity.

1. According to IMDA’s upcoming Singapore Digital Economy Report 2025, three out of every four workers are already regular users of AI tools at work. Among them, 85% said AI had improved their efficiency and quality of their work.

AI is also augmenting the capabilities of creatives – our artists, filmmakers, designers and musicians.

1. Take Dear.AI as an example. As Asia’s first fully AI-powered content production studio, they use AI to achieve high quality visual effects at low cost and faster speeds. They have also made AI more accessible to persons with disabilities by launching the CoCreate SG AI workshop with SG Enable to empower them to co-create short movies using GenAI tools.

Many Singaporeans are already embracing AI.

1. Data from OpenAI showed that Singapore has the highest per capita ChatGPT usage globally – about one in four of us use it weekly.

As AI’s integration grow across society, we want every citizen to be equipped to use AI confidently and responsibly in their daily lives. Building an inclusive digital society is a shared responsibility that requires the collective effort of community partners, companies and every one of us.

To prepare for the digital future, we must continue to upskill ourselves.

1. Every day, parents juggle the demands of work and home while trying to manage their child’s schoolwork. It is a familiar story for many in Singapore and it is where organisations like AI Kaki, a non-profit entity dedicated to upskilling the community, is making a difference.

2. As a partner of IMDA’s Digital for Life movement, they conduct GenAI workshops that focus on practical applications. The workshops demonstrate how AI tools can support their child’s learning while helping parents stay productive. By showing parents how AI can be a helping hand in their daily lives, they can focus on what is most important – being there for their families. In addition to parents, there are GenAI workshops designed for youth to explore creative ways to make learning fun and seniors for daily activities too.

3. In doing so, AI Kaki helps every generation gain confidence with AI, creating shared understanding across families.

Our younger citizens are also learning about AI in schools.

1. In the classroom, students are getting their first taste of AI through hands-on exploration called “AI for Fun”, a new module under the Code for Fun programme. An example is Eva from Waterway Primary School who learnt to use an AI camera — Huskylens — to recognise her classmates’ faces. Meanwhile, Alyson from Northland Secondary School built a prototype of a medicine box that would detect the senior’s face and open to give them their medication at designated times.

2. These young learners are not just passive consumers of technology. They are creators, guided by teachers and trainers who help them understand both the exciting possibilities and the pitfalls of AI. Students discover that AI can hallucinate or reflect unfair biases, hence learning the crucial skill of fact-checking AI-generated responses, as they would any other source. By experimenting with AI through "AI for Fun", students are not just developing technical skills, but the critical thinking they will need to navigate an AI future.

We have a longstanding commitment to support Singaporeans in their digitalisation journey, with access to learning opportunities in the community.

1. 77-year-old Mr Ganaysan is a great example of someone who embarked on a digital journey with the help of the SG Digital Office (SDO). Since retiring, he has been travelling with his wife. He used to spend days meticulously planning trips – scouring websites, cross-checking recommendations, and piecing together itineraries. Everything changed when he attended the GenAI workshops at the Digital Club in Kampong Chai Chee with other seniors. He discovered how to use GenAI tools to create travel plans with the right prompts. What once took him days now takes just minutes, giving him more time for what truly matters. That is, enjoying the trip and making memories with his wife.

2. The effort to equip seniors with GenAI skills is powered by joint 3P efforts between people, private and public sectors. For instance, DBS Foundation collaborated with IMDA and CSA to co-develop a beginners’ guide to GenAI for seniors. This resource would inform them of the uses, risks and safety tips when using GenAI. They will also roll out workshops together with community partners such as Lions Befrienders.

True learning happens when we roll up our sleeves and dive right in. To that end, we are also creating opportunities for all citizens to learn about AI first-hand through interactive experiences.

1. Recently, MDDI and NLB launched a showcase in celebration of SG60, titled “The Heart&Soul Experience: Where Home Will Always Be”. Visitors can talk to their future self through immersive storytelling and a personalised experience, all tailored with GenAI based on information they provide. If you have not visited it yet, I strongly encourage you to!

Other GenAI experiences are offered to the public through our libraries. At United Square mall, NLB introduced a pop up Chatbook experience. Children can ask Sun Wu Kong – the protagonist from the classic Chinese novel of Journey to the West - about his nicknames. Through a GenAI powered chat service, Sun Wu Kong replied with a list of his names like Handsome Monkey King. Children and adults alike were delighted by how they could converse with a fictional character that came to life.

Just as how libraries serve as catalysts for reading, they also champion the goal of lifelong learning. By making cutting edge technology accessible and engaging, they can empower citizens to keep pace with the digital age.

Beyond AI literacy, we aim to advance AI fluency for workers.

1. Through the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA), non-tech professionals can gain AI fluency. This means partnering professional bodies in horizontal functions, such as accounting and HR to identify core activities in each function that can be optimised with the help of AI. For example, a professional in Financial Forensics traditionally investigated after something bad has happened. Today, they can learn to use AI to help clients prevent fraud and solve more complex cases.

Each sector has their own needs and applies AI uniquely to their domain.

1. To keep sector-specific jobs and skills relevant amidst these changes, the Jobs Transformation Maps will be refreshed to reflect emerging trends and opportunities.

2. Last December, we refreshed the Skills Framework for Media with new technical competencies for emerging technologies like virtual production and GenAI. Employers can refer to the roadmap of job roles and skills to structure training opportunities while media practitioners can use it as a benchmark to remain relevant in today's media landscape.

As AI adoption grows, the government will work closely with business leaders to manage its implications on workers.

1. This includes integrating AI tools into workplaces to enhance productivity, and enabling creative professionals to focus on higher-value responsibilities. Individuals in junior roles should also be given opportunities to build their craft and develop their skills, while ensuring they remain adaptable and relevant.

2. The government is also engaging in conversations about supporting creative professionals in the age of AI. There are efforts globally to explore technical safeguards like digital watermarking to uphold the integrity of creative work, and we will draw on these best practices to support the creative community while fostering a vibrant and sustainable creative ecosystem.

3. While AI opens new possibilities and amplifies human strengths, we must remember that AI cannot supplant human connection and empathy that lies at the heart of creative work. By using AI wisely, we can unlock its potential to complement human creativity and foster new avenues for growth.

I would like to challenge everyone to experiment with the marketplace of AI tools out there. Use our GenAI navigator for Small and Medium Enterprises to find suitable business solutions. Or explore GenAI solutions at our upcoming Digital for Life festival at the end of this month. AI can enable us to push boundaries and create new ideas that would otherwise be impossible.

Together, I believe we can build a digital future that belongs to everyone. We need to harness AI – not to replace what makes us human – but to enrich our lives and create a future we can be proud of.

I wish you an inspiring time at the conference. Thank you.