NDR 2025: Govt will help workers harness AI, redesign jobs, says PM Wong

SINGAPORE – Using artificial intelligence (AI) to raise productivity and create new value in the economy is a game changer, and every company, big or small, stands to benefit from it, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Therefore, the Government will help all enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), harness AI effectively and use it to sharpen their competitive edge, he said on Aug 17 in his National Day Rally speech.

“AI is not just for the big players,” PM Wong said, noting that AI will be a defining technology of this time.

Adopting new technologies across the economy was how Singapore transformed in the past, and will be how Singapore plans to ride the AI wave going forward, he said.

He acknowledged that many people worry that AI would replace entire jobs. But he assured Singaporeans that the Government will make sure workers benefit from the shift.

Even as the country embraces AI, the Government will not lose sight of its key priority to ensure citizens have jobs, and will work closely with unions to redesign jobs and help workers, he said.

“Singaporeans will always be at the centre of everything we do. So, we won’t just rush headlong to adopt new technology,” he said.

He gave the example of how crane operators at port operator PSA were retrained to remotely supervise and manage multiple cranes and vehicles. This provided a huge boost in productivity, and created safer and higher-paying jobs for workers.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” PM Wong said.

Some SMEs, like dental healthcare group Q&M Dental, use AI to analyse X-rays to help dentists diagnose problems.

While the dentists still need to check the results and decide on the best course of treatment, the analysis by AI makes their work better and faster, he said.

Past technological changes that came with the rise of computers and the internet created disruption, but also ushered in new opportunities like higher-skilled and better-paying jobs.

“With each new wave of technology, we adapted. We upgraded. We lifted our whole country up,” PM Wong said. “Like the computer and the internet in the past, AI will be a defining technology of our time.”

AI is advancing rapidly and will only get better, with the power to solve real-world problems, said PM Wong.

It will fundamentally change the way people live, he said, noting that many people now turn to AI apps instead of a general internet search when they need to seek information.

AI is being used in the civil service and has yielded good results, he added.

In the past, officers in call centres run by government agencies had to manually write down a summary of each conversation to keep a proper record.

Since March, the Central Provident Fund Board

has been using AI

to transcribe calls and generate summaries.

This allows officers to focus on what matters most, which is to help members of the public, PM Wong said.

Tuas Port, which is

set to be fully completed in the 2040s

, is also highly automated with containers at the port being transported around the facility in unmanned driverless vehicles.

The Government is studying how to similarly automate baggage handling and other airside operations at Changi Airport.

“The real game changer lies in using AI to raise productivity and create new value through every part of the economy,” PM Wong said, urging a deeper look into the opportunities created by AI.

Global companies are choosing Singapore for opportunities related to technology, he said.

American energy company GE Vernova

invested $81.4 million in a repair and service centre in Singapore

in 2019.

Its global turbine repair service centre uses AI to detect anomalies in turbine components. Human operators are then alerted to do an in-depth diagnosis.

While Singapore may not have been the obvious choice for such a centre, global companies value the nation for its ability to combine technology and human skills.

“That’s how we stay competitive, attract high-quality investments and create good jobs for Singaporeans,” PM Wong said.

Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam said social safety nets have to be strengthened in anticipation of job losses due to AI, to support the unemployed and help them to upskill.

Punggol GRC MP Yeo Wan Ling said Singapore must welcome the use of technology, including AI. But it must be steered to create safer workplaces and better career road maps for Singaporeans, including older workers.

“It must never disrupt lives, and it certainly cannot disrupt livelihoods,” she added. “AI, driven in the right way... can propel the creation of better jobs and careers.”

Read more: Key announcements from PM Wong’s first National Day Rally

Watch PM Wong’s National Day Rally speech here: