Minnister Josephine Teo said Singapore aims to become a trusted global AI hub by balancing innovation with strong governance, safety, and public confidence.
Singapore is positioning itself as a trusted global hub for artificial intelligence (AI), with a strong focus on safety, governance, and responsible innovation, Ms Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information of Singapore said at the International Scientific Exchange for AI Safety 2026 Main Conference.
Speaking at the event, Ms Teo welcomed international researchers, scientists, technology companies, and policymakers to Singapore, stressing the importance of global cooperation in addressing AI safety challenges.
She said AI is rapidly becoming a major force shaping daily life, influencing education, healthcare, businesses, public services, and how people access information and make decisions.
Ms Teo noted that Singapore sees enormous opportunities in AI, especially for improving productivity, economic competitiveness, healthcare, education, transport, manufacturing, and climate resilience. She said Singapore’s National AI Strategy and AI Missions reflect these ambitions.
However, Ms Teo emphasised that Singapore does not aim to compete with larger nations through spending power or scale alone. Instead, the country wants to build an AI ecosystem based on trust, responsibility, and effective governance.
According to Ms Teo, AI safety should not be viewed as an obstacle to innovation. She said trusted and secure AI systems would help businesses, governments, and citizens adopt AI more confidently and sustainably.
She highlighted growing concerns surrounding AI-generated scams, misinformation, cybersecurity threats, job displacement, and over-dependence on systems controlled by a small number of global companies and countries.
Ms Teo warned that AI-generated text, audio, images, and videos are making scams and fraudulent activities increasingly sophisticated. She said there is also a risk that people may gradually lose trust in online content and digital communications.
Cybersecurity was identified as another major concern, with AI making cyberattacks easier to execute and harder to detect. Ms Teo said governments must strengthen the resilience of critical systems such as banks, healthcare, telecommunications, transport, and public services.
She also addressed concerns over jobs and workforce disruption, acknowledging that AI will automate certain tasks and create anxiety among workers about future career opportunities and skills relevance.
To address these challenges, Ms Teo outlined several initiatives Singapore is pursuing. These include the development of AI Verify, accreditation programmes for third-party AI testers, governance guidelines for generative AI, and broader online safety and digital trust measures.
Ms Teo stressed the importance of investing in people, improving digital literacy, and ensuring workers are equipped to adapt safely to AI technologies. She said AI safety should involve not only engineers and scientists but also teachers, psychologists, business leaders, parents, and public servants.
The minister also called for stronger international partnerships, noting that many AI risks cross national borders and require cooperation between governments, researchers, and technology companies.
Ms Teo urged AI developers and researchers to prioritise responsibility, transparency, reliability, and controllability when building advanced AI systems.
She concluded by saying Singapore’s ambition is not only to become an AI hub, but a trusted one where innovation improves lives while maintaining public confidence and safety.
Source: MDDI
