Singapore cannot assume economic growth will create as many jobs amid AI shift: Gan Kim Yong

“Learning must remain closely connected to work, and support must begin before workers are affected. This is the task of our tripartite partners,” said the deputy prime minister.

However, he acknowledged that “not everyone will, or should, become an AI engineer”, as roles in care, allied health, early childhood education, skilled trades and essential services continue to offer good job opportunities.

Said DPM Gan: “Many of such roles depend on judgment, dexterity, trust and human interaction that technology can support but not easily replace.”

But the aim should not simply be to preserve such jobs, he said. Their productivity, job design and career progression should also be improved to support better wages.

While redistribution and social support will remain necessary, they cannot be the only answer, he added, noting that productive work provides people with more than income. This includes agency, dignity, social recognition and confidence that their effort can lead to progress and success.

“This is why good jobs are not simply a social outcome to be addressed after economic strategy is decided. They are part of economic strategy itself.”

Staying relevant

More broadly, DPM Gan said Singapore must rethink how it remains competitive in a global environment where economic decisions are increasingly shaped by national security and domestic politics.

He stressed that it is critical for Singapore to remain open due to its small economy, and that turning inwards would only “narrow our options, constrain our opportunities and leave us even more vulnerable”.

But openness alone is not enough, he said, as the state of the global economy means that while trade and investment will still flow, it will not always be along the most efficient route due to factors such as reliability, security and strategic alignment.

“A hub that is merely convenient or efficient can be bypassed for these considerations,” said DPM Gan. “Singapore must therefore move from just being open to being relevant.” 

One way would be concentrating on areas where Singapore can build hard-to-replicate advantages, and become integral to companies’ supply chains and operations, he said.

This would mean deepening Singapore’s capabilities in high-value manufacturing and trusted services, anchoring investments through partnerships with local enterprises and research institutions, and building up its talent base. 

Singapore must also evolve its role as a hub, from one through which goods, capital and data pass to one where these flows are decided, managed, financed and governed, added DPM Gan. 

“In simple terms, we must move from moving things to determining how things move,” he said. “This is how a small economy creates leverage: by being useful to many, while being difficult to replace in a few important areas.”

Staying relevant will also require constant renewal, he added. 

Singapore must support new firms and business models, while helping existing companies restructure or pivot so that scarce land, manpower and capital can move towards more strategic and productive uses. 

At the same time, remaining open leaves the country exposed to external shocks, making resilience another priority. 

DPM Gan said this means diversifying critical sources, maintaining strategic buffers where needed, deepening trusted partnerships and developing alternatives where possible. 

“Resilience buys us time. Agility allows us to do the necessary during that time,” he said. 

Agility, he added, does not mean constantly changing course, but “having the capacity to change when necessary, while focusing sharply on our direction”. 

Addressing the Economic Society of Singapore, he said it has a “significant role” to play in helping the wider community understand the consequences and trade-offs of operating in what he described as a “messy world”.

“It must show how decisions in one domain affect another; distinguish immediate efficiency from long-term robustness; identify who bears the costs and who benefits from it; and recognise the value of preserving options given the uncertainties ahead.”