S’pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong
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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaks during a dialogue moderated by IPS director Janadas Devan on July 29.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Follow topic:
- PM Wong highlights Singapore's unique position to leverage AI for job creation due to its size and strong tripartite relationship.
- Singapore aims for broad-based AI adoption to benefit workers, focusing on retraining and job redesign, not just technological advancement.
- Singapore strives to be a thriving global city with its unique Asian, multicultural identity, prioritising the well-being of Singaporeans.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Being small, Singapore can get ahead of new technology like artificial intelligence (AI) to create new jobs, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on July 29.
He pointed to its “compact system” and the strong relationship between the Government, employers and unions, saying this means the Republic can discuss redesigning jobs and retraining workers, even before new technology is rolled out.
“That’s what we must do in Singapore, not just rush headlong into AI,” said PM Wong.
“Yes, embrace it, adopt it, but always make sure that the technological changes that we harness, the power of technology benefits workers, not replaces them, and always ensure that workers will thrive in this new environment.”
He was answering a question at the Global-City Singapore: SG60 and Beyond conference, hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and the Singapore Business Federation. IPS director Janadas Devan moderated the dialogue – held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre – which covered topics such as AI, the social compact and tariffs.
Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh, who was in the audience, had asked whether Singapore is prepared to harness the benefits of technology and about its impact on employment.
Professor Tommy Koh (on screen) asks questions during a dialogue with PM Lawrence Wong and IPS director Janadas Devan on July 29.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
PM Wong noted that history has shown that some jobs disappear or evolve with every wave of new technology, but new jobs – usually better and higher-paying – get created.
The concerns with AI are that it is so powerful and can do many things that humans can, he said.
He acknowledged the worries people have about AI and its impact on jobs
To truly reap the benefits of any technology, Singapore has to harness it and think hard about how it is applied, he said.
People get very enamoured with countries that are the leaders of cutting-edge, frontier technology, noted PM Wong.
While there are rewards that go to these pioneers, the big advantage of technology comes when there is broad-based adoption across the entire economy, he said.
“So with technology, it is not just about cutting-edge frontier. It is about broad-based adoption, and we will have to think hard about how we do that for AI today.”
The Government is thinking about how it can help companies
“If we can make it happen, company by company, it can yield significant advantages for us. If there is any country that can do that, it is us, because we are small, we are compact, and we can do this company by company.”
Earlier in the 40-minute-long session, Mr Janadas had asked how PM Wong would envision Singapore as a global city in today’s circumstances. He had cited a 1972 speech by former foreign minister S. Rajaratnam, who was envisioning the nation’s future.
PM Wong said that even in a fragmented world, a global network of cosmopolitan cities will stand out.
“We want to be one of them. A shiny node where the human spirit thrives, where people want to be here, to do business and to make things happen,” he said.
At the same time, Singapore does not have to copy others, and should be confident in charting its own way, he added.
“We will never be like New York or Paris, and we do not have to be. Here, we are cosmopolitan, but we are Asian, we are multicultural. Some say we are boring... But at the same time, we are stable, we are predictable,” said PM Wong.
“We are reliable and we are trusted, and these are intangible assets that others would die to have.”
Singapore must also continue to be a home for its citizens, he said.
“Even as we talk about being a global city, we must set the house rules. That means we stay open, but there will be house rules that apply,” he added.
These include on housing and labour. Foreigners who want to buy a home or property will have to pay additional duty, while there are “prudent controls” on foreign manpower, said PM Wong.
“We manage the flows so that Singaporeans always remain at the centre of everything we do; Singaporeans benefit.”
He said: “Being a global city will eventually translate into better homes, better lives, improved standards of living for Singapore.”
