AI in defence: Human control is crucial, says Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE – Although artificial intelligence (AI) can automate tasks and accelerate decision-making in defence, there must still be a “man in the loop”, said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing at a dialogue organised by The Straits Times.

“There are many things that AI can do. It can help us to speed up the process through which we interpret information, acquire targets, select the weapon system to get the target effects – all that is part of automation,” he said at the inaugural edition of The ST Forum dialogue on June 24.

But Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, said people must remain part of the equation in every military operation.

“It cannot be so autonomous, whereby you just take decisions, and you don’t know what you are hitting.”

Cautioning against an overreliance on the technology, he said keeping people involved is necessary to prevent a “dereliction of duty… to an algorithm that you do not understand”.

While acquiring top-tier equipment remains vital, hardware alone does not guarantee mission success, he said, citing the vigilance, training and commitment of Singapore’s service personnel as the ultimate deciding factors.

He made these remarks at a wide-ranging dialogue centred on national service (NS) and defence, taking questions from 25 people from all walks of life, many of them contributors to the ST Forum page.

The discussion ranged from the use of technology and AI to defence spending and inclusivity.

These topics were chosen in the light of recent global conflicts, and ahead of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day on July 1.

Chan said the SAF’s approach to technology has never been to buy the most advanced or “shiniest” equipment, but to invest in tools that complement its manpower.

Even though Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR) sank to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, the conscription-based nature of the armed forces gives the SAF an 18-year head start in preparing for each batch of new recruits.

“We must cut our coat according to our cloth,” he said, stressing the need to plan, including by procuring the necessary equipment years ahead.

The SAF adopts an approach that factors in an equipment’s entire lifecycle, ensuring that it can continue maintaining its systems if supply chains are disrupted.

“Our duty in the defence sector is always to make (the) best use of what is available to us, to build for the long term.

“We will spend what we need to defend ourselves,” said Chan.

The minister said talent is at the heart of building a credible defence force.

He also reiterated that since Singapore’s founding, the Government has maintained a commitment to spend up to 6 per cent of gross domestic product on defence.

This ceiling has not been reached in recent years, with defence spending hovering around 3 per cent in the last few years.

Addressing concerns that the TFR poses an existential threat to national defence, Chan acknowledged that it is a perennial challenge, but noted that technological advances and a more diverse society have created more opportunities for the public to contribute to the country’s defence.

He highlighted that beyond the core force of 50,000 high-readiness personnel and 250,000 operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen), the SAF can tap a much wider network.

This includes 750,000 men who have undergone NS and completed their service obligations, and the SAF Volunteer Corps, through which women, new Singapore citizens aged 18 to 45, and first-generation permanent residents can serve.

At present, for every 10 people who apply to volunteer, only two are accepted, and Chan said he hopes to expand the number of opportunities available, including in non-uniformed capacities.

In doing so, he aims to create a culture in which every able-bodied Singaporean who wants to contribute to the nation’s defence can find ways to do so.

One example he cited was the upcoming indoor live-firing facility in Bedok Camp that will be operational by 2031.

Located two minutes from the future Sungei Bedok MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, Singapore’s second multi-mission range complex will allow NSmen and SAF Volunteer Corps personnel to book slots through the OneNS app, akin to how yearly individual physical proficiency tests are booked.

Eventually, Chan said, there could be a time when ordinary Singaporeans with the necessary security clearance could also practise their marksmanship there.

“That to me is the most powerful deterrent message, because when somebody wants to do bad things to us, they know that they are not just dealing with the SAF. They are dealing with the whole nation.”

Women are also playing a larger role in national defence, and now form more than 10 per cent of regulars in the armed forces.

That proportion is expected to grow, Chan said.

It marks a steady increase from 2022, when then Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told Parliament that more than 1,600 women were serving in the SAF, constituting about 8 per cent of regular personnel.

In expanding the opportunities through which people can serve, Chan said: “Today, the beauty of the SAF is that we have turned a constraint into an opportunity.”

He pointed out that the SAF was also among the first militaries to operate drones that did not need complicated controls, having been adapted from a PlayStation gaming controller.

The idea to do so came from polytechnic pre-enlistees.

“The quality of these ideas comes from our NSFs (full-time national servicemen) and NSmen, and that is what makes the SAF strong,” he said.