The Singaporean government released its updated National AI Strategy 2.0 on Dec. 4, outlining how it plans to embrace innovation and tackle the challenges associated with artificial intelligence (AI).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Singapore structured its AI strategy into three distinct systems consisting of 10 \u201cenablers\u201d that drive those systems and 15 action steps to make the system work. Its first AI strategy was introduced in 2019.<\/p>\n
The updated plan\u2019s systematic approach focuses on three main areas of its society, including what it calls \u201cactivity drivers,\u201d \u201cpeople and communities,\u201d and \u201cinfrastructure and environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the action steps is Singapore\u2019s plan to develop new AI \u201cCenters of Excellence\u201d across companies operating in the country to foster \u201csophisticated AI value creation and usage in key sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n
The updated AI plan also has benchmarks of equipping governmental agencies with \u201cspecialized knowledge, technical capabilities, and regulatory tools\u201d and \u201csharpening\u201d AI proficiency in all Singaporean public officers.<\/p>\n
According to the vision, Singapore plans to use its government capacity to create resources to support AI adoption in the public sector. <\/p>\n
Additionally, it said it plans to boost its quantity of \u201cAI practitioners\u201d or local experts to 15,000 through scaling up AI-specific training programs, technology and AI talent pipelines, and that it \u201cremains open\u201d to global talent. <\/p>\n
The report said that various tech training programs centered around AI development have placed over 2,700 individuals in \u201cgood jobs\u201d to date. <\/p>\n
Singapore, like\u00a0many other countries around the world, said it also plans to increase its computing capacity. <\/p>\n
To do this, Singapore said it plans to deepen partnerships with major players in the industry, including chipmakers and cloud services providers, and support local Singapore-based compute industry firms. <\/p>\n
Related: <\/em><\/strong>AI\u2019s energy consumption concerns echo Bitcoin mining criticisms, says Heatbit founder<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It plans to implement its action steps over the next 3\u20135 years to support its ambitions in the AI sector. <\/p>\n Singapore follows other countries in its push to embrace AI. Recently, at its AI Safety Summit, the United Kingdom said it plans to invest 300 million pounds into obtaining and operating two AI supercomputers to boost its own footprint in the global AI race.\u00a0<\/p>\n OpenAI, one of the world\u2019s leading AI developers, announced a partnership with G42 in Dubai to expand its reach into the Middle East region. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, the United States \u2014 one of the world\u2019s top chip manufacturing hubs \u2014 has started\u00a0tightening export controls targeting certain countries on its technology to develop and power high-level AI systems. <\/p>\n