Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful and transformative technology that can bring immense benefits to the economy and society. Singapore, as a small but ambitious nation, has a vision to use AI for the Public Good, for itself and the world. In this blog post, we will explore how Singapore is achieving this vision through its second National AI Strategy (NAIS 2.0), which was published in December 2023.

You can check out the full document here.

What is NAIS 2.0?

NAIS 2.0 is Singapore’s updated plan to harness AI for the Public Good, building on its first National AI Strategy launched in 2019. NAIS 2.0 outlines Singapore’s aspirations to be a place where AI:

• Addresses the needs and challenges of our time, such as population health and climate change.
• Is the great equalizer, uplifting and empowering our people and businesses with the capabilities and resources to thrive in an AI-enabled future.

To achieve these aspirations, NAIS 2.0 sets out two goals:

• Excellence: We will selectively develop peaks of excellence in AI to advance the field and maximize value creation.
• Empowerment: We will raise individuals, businesses, and communities to use AI with confidence, discernment, and trust.

How will NAIS 2.0 be implemented?

NAIS 2.0 will be implemented through three systems and 10 enablers, supported by 15 actions that Singapore will undertake over the next 3-5 years. The three systems are:

• System 1: Activity Drivers, which are industry, government, and research entities that drive AI activity, from basic science to product R&D and adoption.
• System 2: People & Communities, which are the AI creators, practitioners, and users that form tight-knit knowledge communities for AI innovation.
• System 3: Infrastructure & Environment, which are the compute, data, and trusted environments that enable AI development, deployment, and adoption.

The 10 enablers are:

• Industry: We will anchor transformative AI innovation and value creation in Singapore, focusing on leading economic sectors and cross-cutting capabilities.
• Government: We will improve public service productivity with new value propositions for our citizens.
• Research: We will update national AI R&D plans to sustain leadership in select research areas.
• Talent: We will attract the world’s top AI creators to work from and with Singapore and grow our pipeline of AI practitioners.
• Capabilities: We will equip our people and businesses with the skills and resources to use AI confidently and effectively.
• Placemaking: We will create vibrant physical and digital spaces for AI communities to interact and collaborate.
• Compute: We will secure, access, and operate GPUs or their equivalent for Singapore’s AI community.
• Data: We will build capabilities in data services and privacy-enhancing technologies and unlock government data for use cases that serve the public good.
• Trusted Environment: We will ensure a fit-for-purpose regulatory environment for AI and raise the security and resilience baseline for AI.
• Leader in Thought and Action: We will contribute actively to international discourse on AI governance and collaborate with global partners on AI for the public good.

The Vision and Goals

The twin goals of NAIS 2.0 are excellence and empowerment. The vision is to selectively develop peaks of excellence in AI to advance the field and maximize value creation. At the same time, the strategy aims to raise individuals, businesses, and communities to use AI with confidence, discernment, and trust.

Singapore’s NAIS 2.0 is a testament to the nation’s commitment to harnessing AI for the public good. It represents a significant step towards realizing the full potential of AI in our lives.

NAIS 2.0 is not just a government plan but a national movement that invites all stakeholders and partners to join us in harnessing AI for the public.