Update to Singapore's National AI Strategy: Refreshed Priorities to Harness AI for the Public Good (Factsheet)

1. Minister for Digital Development and Information, Mrs Josephine Teo, announced an update to Singapore’s National AI Strategy (NAIS) in her opening keynote at the ATxSummit on 20 May 2026.

OVERVIEW

2. NAIS 2.0 was launched by Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong in December 2023, setting out Singapore’s vision to harness AI for the Public Good through 10 Enablers. Since then, the AI landscape has evolved rapidly, and Singapore has made meaningful progress across these enablers. To further boost our efforts, the National AI Council (NAIC), chaired by PM Wong, was established in February 2026 to provide strategic direction and drive Singapore’s AI agenda.

3. This update sets out 10 refreshed priorities, across the NAIS Enablers (see Figure 1). These priorities build on our progress made since NAIS 2.0, incorporate what we have learned, and support the NAIC’s elevated ambitions. The refreshed priorities are summarised in the Annex.

Figure 1: NAIS Enablers

Note: The ‘Placemaking’ enabler in NAIS 2.0 has since been renamed ‘Ecosystem Integration’.

THREE FOCUS AREAS

4. The refreshed priorities support the next bound of Singapore’s AI efforts in three key ways. While they are grouped by focus area below for illustrative purposes, many priorities contribute to more than one area.

5. Deepening sectoral and public sector transformation. We will pursue the next bound of sectoral transformation through national AI Missions in Advanced Manufacturing, Financial Services, Connectivity, and Healthcare (see Industry). We will also embed AI more deeply across Government, to accelerate public sector transformation and better serve citizens (see Government). These efforts will be enabled by stronger Applied AI research and engineering capabilities (see Research), AI bilingual talent (see Talent), and governed access to relevant datasets (see Data).

6. Mainstreaming AI adoption and strengthening workforce readiness. Alongside pushing frontiers for sectoral transformation, we will continue to support our broad base of enterprises and government agencies to adopt AI in practical ways (see Industry and Government). This will be underpinned by efforts to entrench broad-based AI capabilities in our workforce (see Capabilities), alongside sustained governance and stronger societal assurance (see Trusted Environment). Together, these efforts will help our people and businesses use AI with greater confidence, and support more inclusive growth.

7. Building an AI hub. These efforts will contribute to our efforts to make Singapore a more compelling place to develop, test, and scale AI solutions. To meet the needs of a growing AI hub, we will secure more compute while concurrently improving the efficiency with which AI models and systems are built and deployed (see Compute). We will also deepen integration across Singapore’s AI community at home and abroad (see Ecosystem Integration), and contribute to global and regional efforts by convening partners, sharing practical resources, and supporting collaborations (see Leader in Thought and Action). Together, these efforts seek to strengthen Singapore’s position as a trusted hub for open exchange and substantive partnerships.

BRINGING THE ENABLERS TOGETHER

8. These focus areas illustrate how the NAIS Enablers are intended to come together – where progress in one area creates momentum in another. Each enabler helps to advance AI development in Singapore, and works in concert with other enablers to create greater impact.  

9. The 10 refreshed priorities reflect our assessment of what the next bound of AI development requires, and our commitment to adapt as the frontier moves. Our vision remains to shape AI for the Public Good, for Singapore and the World.

10. For the full update, please visit go.gov.sg/naisupdate or scan the QR code below.

ANNEX: 10 REFRESHED PRIORITIES

1. Boost sectoral transformation through national AI Missions, while mainstreaming AI adoption across industry. [Industry]          

Leveraging our enterprise and sectoral AI Centres of Excellence, Singapore can now aim higher to support the next bound of industry transformation. We will launch national AI Missions, as announced by PM Wong at Budget 2026, and complement these with continued efforts to mainstream AI adoption across industry. This holistic approach to industry transformation will help spread the benefits of AI more evenly across our economy.

2. Embed AI more deeply across Government, to accelerate public sector transformation and better serve citizens. [Government]

The Government has made steady progress in promoting broader AI adoption across the Public Service. Building on these foundations, we will embed AI a routine part of public sector work, while pursuing breakthroughs in high-impact domains where AI can transform how Government serves citizens. By integrating AI policy, operations, and technology more effectively, the Government can serve as a model for responsible and impactful AI adoption.

3. Build capabilities across the spectrum of AI research to enable greater impact. [Research]

In January 2026, we updated Singapore’s National AI R&D (NAIRD) Plan at the Singapore AI Research Week. With support from the National Research Foundation, we committed over S$1 billion to public AI research and talent development from 2025 to 2030. We will execute this fuller research agenda, which spans fundamental AI research, applied AI research, and talent development. This will strengthen the talent, capabilities, and collaborations that an AI hub requires.

4. Nurture AI bilingual talent, while continuing to attract top-tier AI talent and cultivate AI Practitioners. [Talent]

Singapore has made progress anchoring top-tier AI talent and nurturing a strong base of AI Practitioners, and we will continue these efforts. In parallel, as AI becomes more capable and accessible, we will seize the opportunity that has emerged from AI bilingual talent: people with both domain expertise and AI capability, who can apply AI meaningfully in their domains. Together, these efforts aim to equip Singapore with the talent mix needed to thrive as a leading AI hub.

5. Entrench broad-based AI capabilities to support inclusive growth. [Capabilities]

With AI adoption expanding considerably, the next phase is to scale its impact from isolated use cases to organisation-wide transformation. Singapore will deepen AI literacy and fluency regardless of ages and job roles, support job redesign, and help workers transition confidently into new roles and growth areas, including through tripartite efforts. Our aim is to entrench broad-based AI capabilities across our workforce to enable inclusive growth.

6. Deepen ecosystem integration across Singapore’s AI community, at home and abroad. [Ecosystem Integration].

Previous name under NAIS 2.0: Placemaking.] What began as a Placemaking effort has evolved into broader Ecosystem Integration, as our pilot initiatives have demonstrated how dense, well-connected communities can catalyse AI innovation. Building on Lorong AI, Singapore will establish Kampong AI at One-North, and strengthen links with our global AI community through platforms such as RAISE.SG and Singapore AI Research Week. This will foster a shared sense of purpose across industry, government, and research, and support Singapore’s development as a connected AI hub.

7. Advance resource-efficient AI and enable sufficient access to compute in line with Singapore’s sustainability goals. [Compute]

While compute access has improved since the acute supply constraints of 2023, future supply dynamics remain uncertain. Singapore will continue to chart a path towards energy-efficient and green data centres, expand compute availability with the second Data Centre – Call-for-Application, Strategic Digital Infrastructure Scheme and local research capacity through the National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore’s ASPIRE 2B supercomputer, and pursue research to advance greater resource-efficiency in AI under the updated NAIRD Plan. Together, these efforts will support Singapore’s AI ambitions by securing more compute and improving the efficiency with which AI models and systems are built and deployed.

8. Unlock datasets, underpinned by strong data governance, to support sectoral transformation. [Data]

The data challenge today is not just about making more datasets available; delivering on the national AI Missions will require access to the right datasets for specific use cases, with appropriate safeguards. We will enable trusted access to relevant datasets while preserving privacy, security, and legitimate commercial interests. Through this, we hope to promote a virtuous cycle where better data can improve models; better models can enable more useful applications; and wider use of these applications can generate better data and feedback in return.

9. Enable trusted AI adoption through sustained governance and stronger societal assurance. [Trusted Environment]

Singapore has developed practical AI governance frameworks, tools, and assurance capabilities, reflecting an approach to strengthening trust in AI that is practical, layered, and sustained. As AI risks become more complex, we will further strengthen layered AI governance; deepen sector-specific risk management; and build AI testing, assurance, and safety capabilities. In parallel, we will strengthen societal confidence in AI by equipping our people to use AI confidently and vigilantly, and by supporting inclusive growth from AI-driven transformation.

10. Strengthen Singapore’s position as a trusted hub for open exchange and substantive partnerships. [Leader in Thought and Action]

While international cooperation on AI has deepened in some areas, the broader landscape has grown more fragmented. Singapore will continue to contribute to global and regional AI efforts by convening partners, sharing practical resources, and supporting collaborations, including as ASEAN Chair in 2027. Through these efforts, our hope is for Singapore to serve as a credible, trusted, and open global AI hub: by enabling exchange, contributing practical resources, and supporting collaboration to shape AI for the Public Good.