SINGAPORE: Singapore is seeking the “best of both worlds” in AI governance, with regulations that are neither too tight nor so loose that industry players “run wild”, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday (Apr 16).
He was speaking at a fireside chat at the Semafor World Economy conference in Washington DC, during a six-day visit to the United States, in which Semafor senior editor Clay Chandler asked Mr Gan about Singapore’s approach to AI governance.
Mr Chandler noted that in the United States, the prevailing approach appears to be that AI “shouldn’t be supervised at all, and there are no regulations whatsoever”. In contrast, Europe has taken a more cautious stance, focusing on privacy and human rights, while China adopts an “industrial policy kind of focus” in regulating AI.
Mr Gan said that a key lesson from past crises such as COVID-19, the Ukraine-Russia war and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East is that trust is “very important”.
“Data is also fundamentally built on trust. So I think it’s important to understand that Singapore is a trusted partner in many of these, and that’s our key strength,” he said.
To preserve that trust, Singapore must put in place sufficient governance and guidelines for AI, including frameworks for AI models, he added. At the same time, Singapore adopts a sandbox approach that allows innovation and development to take place.
“We don’t have tight regulations, but we watch them and monitor so (as to) make sure that they don’t run wild,” said Mr Gan. “And once some of these practices are well established, then we begin to develop regulations and rules so that we are able to govern the future development and application of these solutions.”
This calibrated approach ensures that there is enough governance to preserve trust, while still allowing room for innovation.
“If you are too tight, I think you just can’t move. If you are too loose, then they will run wild. So I think it’s a very careful, calibrated balance,” he said, adding that this “balance” is dynamic and must evolve alongside technological developments.
“You need to be prepared to be nimble to adjust these regulations and rules as you move along, and you have to keep your eye on the ball to make sure that the development is according to the guidelines and governance you’ve put in place,” he said.
FOCUSING ON SOLUTIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced during the February Budget that he will chair a new National AI Council to coordinate and drive Singapore’s AI strategy.
It was also announced in January that Singapore will invest more than S$1 billion (US$786 million) in its National AI Research and Development Plan.