AI giants are storming S’pore with six-figure salaries. But how serious is their investment?

Singapore has become a battleground for American AI giants like OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Anthropic, as well as Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Huawei, and ByteDance. These firms are offering salaries ranging from S$70,000 to S$90,000 for fresh hires, with experienced engineers earning six figures and top specialists receiving packages worth S$200,000 to S$350,000 or more.

Chinese companies have been particularly aggressive in recruiting Singaporean students with spectacular offers, even before graduation. However, the question remains: how much are these companies actually investing in Singapore, and how much of that investment would remain if the AI boom were to suddenly end? OpenAI's first Applied AI Lab outside the US is located in Singapore, with more than 200 technical jobs planned over the coming years.

Google DeepMind has opened a Singapore research lab and expanded partnerships in healthcare, scientific research, and workforce development. Anthropic, the creator of Claude, is building a Singapore presence which may eventually become a major regional operation. Alibaba has chosen Singapore for its first AI Global Competency Center.

However, there is a risk that Chinese companies may view Singapore as a convenient international face rather than building genuine businesses. The Chinese government's intervention in the Manus AI startup case shows that this risk could lead to reduced job flow and money from Chinese companies. The biggest danger to Singapore's AI economy is a sudden stop to global AI investment, which could have a detrimental impact on the economy.

As Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and other companies pour billions into AI infrastructure, Singapore is reaping the benefits, with GDP growth forecasts raised to around 5% for 2026. However, the Monetary Authority of Singapore has raised concerns about the potential impact of a major retrenchment in AI investment, which could weaken global growth and negatively affect wealth.

While AI is not likely to disappear, the money behind it could, leading to layoffs, the return of expensive research teams to headquarters, and consolidation of startups dependent on continuous fundraising.