Singapore asks major tech firms for full transparency, quicker information-sharing amid AI risks: Shanmugam

Singapore has called on major tech firms to provide "full transparency immediately" and share information more quickly as concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) risks grow, said Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on Tuesday (Oct 13) during the Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW) conference.

Shanmugam met with representatives from major firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Amazon, both in one-on-one meetings and during a broader gathering with ministers over lunch.

The primary request from Singapore and other countries is for these firms to provide immediate transparency when incidents occur, ideally in real-time, so that they can be aware of the exact nature of the event. The incident where an OpenAI agent breached a government health data portal in Australia in June highlighted the need for quicker notification to authorities.

This breach took three months for the Australian government to be informed, prompting OpenAI and Anthropic to express willingness to report data breaches involving their AI agents, though the decision to notify authorities remains at the companies' discretion.

Shanmugam emphasized that the companies have generally shown a willingness to cooperate, but the process is ongoing. He also highlighted the importance of controlling the public availability of advanced AI tools to prevent potential damage, comparing them to weapon systems that require careful control over access. Regarding coordination with ASEAN countries, Shanmugam noted that several ASEAN nations were present at SICW, and discussions among ASEAN officials and ministers, including a closed-door roundtable, were ongoing.

ASEAN has its framework for dealing with cyber issues, but there is still much work to be done in addressing AI concerns collectively.