AI innovation should be measured by impact on people, Josephine Teo says at UN platform
She points to Singapore’s use of the technology across the civil service to help public officers and citizens
Josephine Teo, Singapore's Minister for Digital Development and Information, emphasized at a United Nations General Assembly platform that the true measure of artificial intelligence innovation is its impact on people's lives, not just the potency of the technology. Speaking on September 22, Teo detailed Singapore's strategy for AI development and adoption, highlighting the country's focus on leveraging AI to enhance public service efficiency and citizen services.
Nearly 70% of public officers now utilize AI tools for tasks like data analysis and document drafting. The government is also investigating the deployment of AI agents to streamline workflows while maintaining officer accountability for critical decisions. AI is also being employed to streamline feedback routing to relevant agencies, detect anomalies in cargo shipments, and identify phishing and impersonation scams.
Teo emphasized that for widespread AI integration, public trust in the technology is crucial. She noted that AI could exacerbate existing threats like more convincing scams and sophisticated cyberattacks, but with appropriate safeguards, AI can be adopted with increased confidence. Trust, according to Teo, does not stifle innovation; rather, it enables it to scale.
As part of her visit to the U.S., Teo will engage with industry and academic leaders in New York and Boston, alongside her participation in UN events. Besides enhancing government services and implementing safeguards, broadening AI's reach is another priority. Singapore has developed Sea-Lion, a set of open-source AI models tailored for Southeast Asian languages and cultures, addressing the region's linguistic and cultural diversity.
The project is supported by organizations like the Gates Foundation, Google, and the UN Development Programme through Project Atlas, aiming to create AI-ready datasets for underrepresented languages globally. Teo stressed that countries do not need to create their own frontier AI models; instead, they should adapt existing technologies to their specific languages, cultures, and needs.
Singapore is sharing this approach through its participation in the Digital Pillar of the Forum of Small States, offering open-source digital tools, and establishing the Singapore Digital Gateway, an online platform providing digital toolkits and resources to other countries. Teo concluded that the success of AI should be measured by the number of people it empowers, not by the power of the machines themselves.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
