Speech by SMS Tan Kiat How at Design AI and Tech Awards 2025

Opening Address by Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, at Design AI and Tech Awards 2025 (19 May 2025)

Mr Chan Yeng Kit, CEO, SPH Media

Professor Phoon Kok Kwang, President, SUTD

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you today at the inaugural Design AI and Tech Awards, which recognises how thoughtful design and cutting-edge technology can come together to solve real-world challenges in meaningful ways.

2. It is especially fitting that this event is being held at SUTD.

   1. SUTD is the world’s first university to dedicate itself to Design AI. Through new academic programmes and industry partnerships, SUTD is reimaging how we can nurture the next generation of innovators who can harness AI in support of human-centered technologies.

3. This spirit of purposeful innovation is exemplified in the students’ work through two distinct concepts:

   1. The first is Design in AI, which shapes AI to be intuitive, safe and aligned with how we think, work and live.

      1. EmpathIQ is a good example. SUTD students worked with Tan Tock Seng Hospital to design a conversational AI assistant to help healthcare staff better manage employee feedback. The tool interprets tone and context, allowing for more empathetic and responsive interactions.

   2. The second concept is AI in Design, which explores how AI expands the boundaries of creativity.

      1. AUROMA is a smart fragrance assistant co-developed by SUTD students and L’Oreal. This system uses Large Language Models to understand user preferences and recommend personalised fragrances, delivering a more intuitive and tailored experience.

4. These examples reflect a broader shift we are seeing – the power of design to make AI more human, and the power of AI to push design further.

   1. The Design AI and Tech Awards seek to recognise such approaches to purposeful innovation.

5. So, to all the finalists: Big congratulations!

   1. You’ve made it through a highly competitive process.

   2. And I look forward to learning more about your work, and how you are combining AI and design to build meaningful solutions for the world around us.

6. We are also seeing more companies viewing AI as a practical tool for growth and transformation.

   1. Many of them have moved past just experimentation, to deploy AI in their daily operations.

   2. According to the latest Singapore’s Digital Economy Report, enterprise adoption of AI has grown steadily, from 34% in 2022 to 46% in 2024.

7. And I am glad that our Small and Medium Enterprises or SMEs are part of this trend.

   1. Many more of them are embracing AI, supported by initiatives like the GenAI Sandbox, as well as tools like Microsoft Copilot for SMEs, and Gemini for Google Workspace.

   2. In 2024 alone, close to 3,000 SMEs adopted AI-enabled solutions.

      1. From local retailers using AI to forecast demand, to F&B operators optimising menus and reducing wastage.

   3. And a recent DBS survey found that nearly three in four SMEs plan to invest in GenAI, and just as many intend to upskill employees to make the most of it.

8. Among this year’s finallists for the awards, we see many examples of how AI and design can come together to solve real-world problems.

   1. One example is LionsBot, which has designed AI-powered cleaning robots to ease physical workloads, while offering intuitive controls and user experience. This addresses a very real challenge in this industry, and is also a boon for its older workers, enabling them to continue working even at a later age.

   2. Another is SBS Transit’s Project 6Sense. This AI-powered dashboard integrates data from across the rail network to give operators a real-time view of train health. By spotting issues early and guiding preemptive maintenance, it has helped reduce delays and boost reliability, with the Downtown Line now achieving 8 million mean kilometres between failure (MKBF), which is a widely accepted measure of reliability. It is a great example of how well-designed systems can improve public service outcomes and the everyday experiences of commuters.

9. So we want to see more of such impact at scale. This means we need to keep strengthening the ecosystem that supports it, from the ground up and across every sector.

10. Few companies can do this alone.

    1. But we unlock new possibilities by creating a vibrant ecosystem where companies and inventors have access to an enabling ecosystem that offers space to test, the right partners to build with, and support to scale.

11. The Government is actively supporting this ecosystem to benefit not just innovators but all businesses including our SMEs.

12. First, we are supporting efforts to uplift entire industries through sector-wide transformation.

    1. So, we are setting up Sectoral AI Centres of Excellence (COE), which gather public agencies, researchers and industry players to co-create solutions that is scaled across entire value chains.

    2. We launched the first sectoral COE for AI in Manufacturing, last September.

       1. It brings together A*STAR, our institutes of higher learning, and industry partners to co-develop solutions such as predictive maintenance and quality assurance powered by GenAI and machine learning. Already, more than 10 major companies have come on board to test and scale these use cases.

    3. Looking ahead, we also expect AI to transform the design sector, not just through better tools, but by shaping how we create, collaborate and solve problems. So I look forward to many uses of AI in design and design in AI.

13. At the same time, we are also supporting companies, particularly SMEs, to adopt AI. So we are not just supporting the supply side of the ecosystem, but also helping companies to adopt AI by lowering the threshold and ability to adopt AI in a much better way.

    1. As many of us know, an SME may not always have the luxury of a dedicated tech team, or have the time to trial new tools. So how can they decide where to begin, what use cases they should focus on, and what tools they should use?

    2. This is where the CTO-as-a-Service platform comes in. It offers over 300 pre-approved digital solutions, nearly a third of which are AI-enabled.

       1. In 2024 alone, the platform supported more than 330,000 users, and helped close to 3,000 SMEs adopt AI to enhance operations, improve customer service, and make better-informed decisions.

    3. Complementing this is the SMEs Go Digital programme, which has benefited close to 100,000 SMEs since 2017, giving them access to digitalise at their own pace, with tools that suit their needs.

    4. So these programmes support the end user - the businesses and SMEs - by making it easier to adopt digital solutions and AI. But I see this as well to support innovators. Because if you have a good solution that solves a real-world problem for their sector, these programmes will help to scale up to many more customers in that industry.

    5. And I’m very glad that many of our solution providers and technology providers in these programmes are local start-ups with good ideas. So don’t see these programmes as just supporting the end user but creating an avenue for our innovators to reach out to new market segments to scale quickly in Singapore and hopefully beyond Singapore.

14. We are also helping companies adopt emerging technologies, especially in the GenAI space.

    1. We recently launched the GenAI Navigator, which offers use cases, templates and curated tools that SMEs can try out and learn from; as well as the

    2. GenAI Playbook, a practical guide that walks businesses through the pros and cons of building versus buying AI solutions, and how to assess their own readiness to move forward.

15. I’d like to end off this morning’s remarks by talking about the most important part of whether it is design or AI. It’s not about the technology. It’s about people and talent. Tools and support can only take us so far.

    1. At the heart of every breakthrough is a person, someone with the imagination to ask “what if?”, and the skills to turn possibilities into reality and practice.

    2. This is especially true for AI and design. It will only be widely adopted if the system is designed well, with the user interface and user experience fitting naturally into existing workflows. That means having people who not only understand the tech, but also the users and their needs.

16. That’s why we are investing in people with such skillsets and competencies.

    1. We are growing both ends of the pipeline, because the work doesn’t start only in the laboratories or boardrooms. It also begins in our classrooms, continues in our training centres, and plays out in every workplace looking to stay ahead.

    2. On the pre-employment front, we have gradually expanded our intake of students in Information and Digital Technologies (IDT) space to meet growing interest and industry demand.

    3. In 2024, around 8,000 students are enrolled in IDT courses across our universities, polytechnics and ITEs, making up about 17% of their entire cohort. At the university level, IDT places have increased from 3,000 in 2020 to 4,000 this year, now accounting for more than 1 in 4 degree spots in Singapore.

    4. At SUTD, students across pillars and programmes such as Architecture and Sustainable Design and Engineering Product Development, are trained to work with AI as a partner and not just a tool. It’s a clear example of how universities are making AI accessible, practical and relevant across fields within and beyond tech.

    5. We also support continuous learning through initiatives like the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) programme. Since its launch in 2016, TeSA has supported over 300,000 individuals in acquiring new skills, from AI and data analytics to software engineering and cybersecurity, and helped more than 19,000 locals enter tech roles.

17. And we are not just looking at the tech sector, we are also helping businesses and workers prepare for change.

    1. As mentioned earlier by the Sengkang General Hospital team, it is about embedding these skillsets in every worker, in every workplace.

    2. Our Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs) include sectors like logistics, HR and finance, and provide clear, practical guidance on how roles are evolving, and how to keep pace.

18. Ultimately, we want every Singaporean, whether you are a student, mid-career professional, or business owner, to feel confident about your place in an AI-driven future.

    1. Because technology can only go as far as our people are ready to take it.

19. So let me just end off by congratulating all our finalists once again. I enjoyed reading the write- ups of all your projects and listening to your presentations.

    1. You have demonstrated that when we invest in good design, strong partnerships, and great people, we can unlock the full promise of AI.

20. And to everyone here, it is an opportunity for us to come together, to network, to learn from one another. I hope that after today, you feel inspired by the ideas and innovations we have seen, and energised to be a part of this vibrant ecosystem that we are building here in Singapore - not just for this little red dot, but be able to project beyond our shores.

    1. The Design AI and Tech Awards remind us that design and technology go hand in hand, to create solutions that are not only cutting-edge, but grounded, trusted, and with people at their core.

    2. That is how we can ensure AI remains a force for good, for everyone.

21. Thank you very much.