Budget 2026: PM Wong to chair new National AI Council to drive transformation in key sectors
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The new inter-ministerial council will launch and drive AI missions in four key sectors at a national level to unlock its competitive advantage in a changed world.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
- Singapore will launch national AI missions in manufacturing, connectivity, finance, and healthcare to unlock competitive advantage and economic benefits.
- A new National AI Council, chaired by PM Lawrence Wong, will drive this agenda, overseeing mission development and accelerating AI solution deployment.
- Singapore aims to be a trusted AI hub, deploying solutions rapidly and responsibly to overcome national constraints.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – A National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Council chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will be created to help Singapore harness AI as a strategic advantage.
Announced by PM Wong on Feb 12 in his Budget 2026 speech, the new inter-ministerial council will launch and drive AI missions in four key sectors at a national level to unlock Singapore’s competitive advantage in a changed world.
PM Wong devoted over 10 minutes of his 90-minute speech to AI.
“In a changed world, a decisive factor for success will be how we harness new technologies – foremost among them, artificial intelligence,” he said.
The four sectors are advanced manufacturing, transport connectivity, finance and healthcare.
For example, in advanced manufacturing, Singapore aims to build best-in-class factories that can compete globally. In connectivity and logistics, AI can help to automate airport and seaport operations to move goods more efficiently and strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading global hub, he said.
PM Wong said delivering such outcomes will require Singapore to work differently.
“To fully realise AI’s potential, we must go beyond individual pilots and isolated experiments,” he said, underscoring the importance of scale. “We must organise at a national level, and move with speed and scale,” PM Wong said, adding that the new AI missions will push the boundaries of what is possible.
“We will review regulations and create sandboxes, so companies can test AI innovations safely and responsibly. Within the Government, we will better align our research and development, regulatory and investment promotion efforts, so that agencies act in concert and pull in the same direction,” he said.
Details on the AI mission for advanced manufacturing will be shared by the Ministry of Trade and Industry during the debate on its 2026 budget, while specifics on the other sectors will be announced in due course.
The new plans come as AI is advancing at a remarkable speed, triggering deep concerns around job displacements, misinformation and ethical use of powerful technologies.
PM Wong said fear cannot be Singapore’s response as that will risk the country falling behind in a rapidly moving world. Instead, Singapore needs to act with clarity and resolve, and use AI to serve its national interests and people.
“Harnessed well, AI will be a strategic advantage for Singapore. It can help us overcome our structural constraints – our limited natural resources, rapidly ageing population and tight labour market,” he said.
But to do this, Singapore needs to invest deliberately and with discipline, and play to its strengths.
“Our advantage does not lie in building the latest frontier models. It lies in deploying AI effectively, responsibly, and at speed. Singapore can be a trusted hub where companies and researchers come together to develop, test and deploy impactful AI solutions – and do so faster and more coherently than many larger countries,” said PM Wong.
Such groundwork has already been laid, with over 60 companies, including Google and Microsoft, setting up AI Centres of Excellence here. These centres are launched by technology firms in conjunction with the Government to help drive AI adoption in enterprises.
The new plans come as AI is advancing at a remarkable speed, triggering deep concerns around job displacements.
ST ILLUSTRATION: CHNG CHOON HIONG
PM Wong said that investments in these centres have created a growing number of good jobs for Singaporeans – in AI research, engineering and deployment.
The National AI Council will drive that by overseeing the development and execution of AI missions.
The council comprises the following members:
Mr Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry
Mr Ong Ye Kung, Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health
Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information
Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology in the Ministry of Trade and Industry
Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for National Development and deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore board of directors
Mr Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance
Other agendas that the council will address are the commissioning of AI missions in the key sectors with growth potential, and the unlocking of regulations and resources to accelerate the development, testing, deployment and scaling of AI solutions.
The council will also tap on expertise from the private sector. More details will be released later.
Mr Edmund Heng, KPMG partner (Technology Risk), said AI governance will be key to Singapore’s ambition to be a global trusted AI hub.
“Clear accountability, a risk-based approach and early governance will be critical for sustainable AI implementation at scale. Good governance empowers AI adoption with confidence, while unclear governance hinders it,” he said.
Read next: 11 highlights from PM Wong’s speech
