Speech by SMS Tan Kiat How at DBS Live Fulfilled Carnival

Hi, good afternoon everyone. I’m very happy to join all of you here today. I thought I could speak about some of the technology trends that the government is paying closer attention to, especially in my portfolios in Ministry of Digital Development and Information as well as Ministry of Health. The trends revolve around AI, including agentic AI, which is creating much excitement now, as well as embodied AI, which is AI interacting with the physical world through embodiment of machines, automation and robots. Sounds very science fiction, but some of these things we are already seeing in practice today across different domains. We see many exciting opportunities in terms of using AI to address very challenging societal problems, from climate change to predicting diseases to drug discovery, and maybe in our lifetime, cure certain forms of cancer. And this means improving the quality of life to many, many people around the world.

And certainly here in Singapore, AI brings with it tremendous potential in the economic sphere. AI cannot take over your job, that is clear, but it helps to simplify many tasks by automating certain parts of it, and empowering workers across different domains – whether you are deploying code as a software engineer, dealing with clients as a relationship manager, in research or clinical settings.

Innovation hubs around the world, including China, US and parts of Europe, are advancing rapidly in terms of AI and robotics. So how should we think about it here in Singapore? We are celebrating our 60 years of independence this year. We are a very young nation compared to many bigger countries and civilisations around the world, but we've made progress. Singapore takes a very pragmatic approach to this – as long as we work hard, be smart, remain agile and stay united, there are opportunities to be taken. We want to bring people along to recognise that the challenges with new technologies are no different from the first wave of technologies, the internet, social media, cloud computing, and enterprise software. And with every wave of technology, there are opportunities. For us, how do we put in place infrastructure, the investment ecosystem to help companies, help workers make full use of this technology, so that Singapore remains relevant to the world?

1. We do so firstly by helping our companies put in place the digital enablers through SME programmes such as SMEs Go Digital. We work very closely with DBS Bank on this as well.

2. We also help our companies stay safe online. Some of you might have read the speech by our Coordinating Minister for National Security at CSA’s 10th anniversary – these threats are real. So we ensure that companies involved in our critical information infrastructure, like telcos, logistics, transport, can embrace technology while staying safe.

3. Thirdly, it's about investing in our people – equipping our workers, our Singaporean workforce with the right skills, and we have done so since the days of computerization and, later on, digilitasation. Our workers can only be productive if they use the tools in the right way with the right work processes. So we work hand-in-hand with companies and communities to ensure that we do not leave anyone behind. One of these projects is SG Digital office, which we’ve put in place over the last few years, especially during COVID when we had to use TraceTogether for safety management. Some of you might have seen the SG Digital Ambassadors – these people dressed in purple at community centers, helping our seniors learn about smartphones and technology. That was really because of COVID. Many seniors couldn't come out, and that affected their quality of life, so we had to put in place digital tools to help them connect with loved ones and use e-payments such as Paylah. I asked one of the old aunties at these events what she’s using gen AI for, and she shared that she’s looking up recipes for fish n chips using ChatGPT. This is just one simple example, but look at the power empowerment of people using technology, and we are not leaving anyone behind, including our seniors in the community.

So I end off by saying that there are many dark clouds on the horizon but Singapore will not cease to thrive. The world is not a stable, peaceful place; there are economic and geopolitical conflicts around the world. But for every dark cloud, if our response as a Singaporean society is to stay united and agile and look for that silver lining, there will be a rainbow at the end of the journey and we will have another wonderful 60 years ahead. We are putting in place policies and strategies to seize every opportunity.

I want to thank DBS for being one of the flag-bearer organisations and for always being progressive and investing in people, especially with the launch of iCoach, which is an always-on smart career companion that supports DBS staff to have agency, upskill and reskill yourself, seize opportunities and take charge of your own career. I certainly hope many organisations will be like DBS, investing in its people.

And with that, I thank you again for giving me the opportunity to speak to everyone and wishing everyone all the best.