SINGAPORE – Singapore must continue to get the fundamentals right as it transitions to an artificial intelligence world, which means ensuring that AI is not used as a shortcut for learning in schools.
At the same time, employers will need to be more deliberate in training and mentoring their junior hires, and this is something Singapore wants companies to pay attention to, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
“We are concerned that there may be that bottom rung of the career ladder that is broken, and young people may not get sufficient training, and we want companies to pay attention to this,” he said at the DBS Asia Future Forward Conference on Oct 12.
“So, we are looking at whether there is a need for new programmes, new schemes.”
The Republic will also adopt AI at a pace whereby the benefits will be broad-based, and which uplifts the lives of all Singaporeans, he stressed.
“We want technology to translate into better lives for Singaporeans, so we are not trying to be an AI-driven society,” he said. “We are trying to be a better society enabled by AI.”
At a dialogue with DBS chief executive officer Tan Su Shan at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, PM Wong said employers want workers who are AI literate, but who are also capable, able to think on their feet and exercise good judgment.
This is why students must continue to learn the basics such as maths and algebra. On this front, Singaporean students continue to do very well by international standards, he noted, citing metrics such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment rankings.
The bigger adjustment is at the workplace because new hires are often tasked with doing the routine work that AI will replace. Yet, there is some value and tacit learning that comes from doing such work, and firms must be careful not to automate away the learning that comes from it, said PM Wong.
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