SINGAPORE – For better or for worse, artificial intelligence is sweeping through Singapore’s universities, forcing a fundamental rethink of how higher education is delivered and received.
Today, chatbots have evolved into 24/7 “on-the-go” professors, research assistants and intellectual sparring partners for students.
However, this convenience comes with a catch. As students lean on these tools to navigate complex coursework, institutions are grappling with the twin shadows of over-reliance and plagiarism.
Singapore’s six autonomous universities have largely embraced a pragmatic stance: generative AI is permitted to varying degrees, provided students are transparent about its use.
Yet, while reported cases of academic dishonesty remain low in these institutions, professors are watching closely for signs of misuse, and are calling for more creative forms of assessment.
The “AI boom” is no longer a distant prophecy but an active, unfolding reality that is forcing a fundamental rethink of higher education. And the critical question is: Is AI a genuine catalyst for progress, or is it simply high-tech hype?
The Straits Times Education Forum 2026, titled AI In Higher Education: Hype Or Hope?, aims to address exactly that, by fleshing out the future of learning and assessments, and exploring what it means to be a lifelong learner in the age of the machine.
Held in partnership with Singapore Management University (SMU), the forum will also explore how educators prepare graduates for their first jobs in an AI-driven economy, and whether AI truly can improve accessibility and equity on campus.
