PA to roll out $7 beginner-friendly AI courses in November
Topics include photography and photo enhancement, and using AI for travel planning.
In November, Singapore's People’s Association (PA) will introduce 25 beginner-friendly, affordable AI courses to help residents, particularly seniors, understand and confidently use AI in their daily lives. These short courses, encompassing topics such as photography and photo enhancement, as well as AI-assisted travel planning, will be held from November 2026 to October 2027. Each two- to three-hour session will cost $7 initially, increasing to $10 afterward.
A pilot of these courses took place in August at community centers in Buangkok, Bukit Batok East, and Geylang Serai, attended by around 60 residents. One participant, Dorothy Villanueva, 63, expressed newfound confidence in using AI for trip planning after attending a course. The PA also plans to launch an AI voice assistant on its digital platform, onePA, enabling residents to request program and facility recommendations in multiple languages.
Additionally, a roving AI robot concierge will debut at Punggol North Community Centre, assisting residents in planning activities based on their interests and schedules, with expansion to other community centers planned. PA's Deputy Chairman and Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Edwin Tong, emphasized the aim of using AI to reduce manual tasks, allowing staff and volunteers to focus on nurturing human connections, empathy, and care for residents.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
