Singapore’s President Tharman: There is NO Ai Race

Singapore will confront the challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) earlier than many countries due to its small size, openness, and reliance on technology, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He stressed that while AI poses risks, it also offers opportunities for productivity and growth if nations invest in human capital.

Ai Race

“We look at AI like every other form of productivity improvement – as a plus,” Mr Tharman said. “And the real challenge is that we want that plus to be distributed up and down the workforce.”

He highlighted Singapore’s SkillsFuture movement, launched over a decade ago, as a model for continuous upskilling. The focus, he argued, should be on strengthening the “large, middle layer of the workforce” – particularly white-collar professionals – so they can complement AI rather than be displaced by it.

But Singapore is not alone. Other nations with advanced digital infrastructure and high dependence on technology may also face AI challenges sooner. The United States, with its deep integration of AI into industries from finance to defense, must grapple with risks such as misinformation and cyber warfare. Similarly, European Union countries like Germany and France, which rely heavily on automation and digital systems, are vulnerable to disruptions but also well-positioned to harness AI for industrial innovation. China, meanwhile, is racing ahead in AI research and deployment, but its scale and speed of adoption mean it must also confront governance and safety issues urgently.

Cyber warfare and nuclear risks

Mr Tharman warned that global governance remains the weakest link. He cited dangers such as AI-driven misinformation, cyber warfare, and even nuclear risks. “There is no one AI race. There are several AI races,” he noted, emphasizing that neither the US nor China will dominate entirely, and smaller nations like Singapore can play a bridging role.

He pointed to Singapore’s 2025 AI safety conference, which convened scientists from across the globe, as an example of how smaller, neutral countries can foster dialogue. “They’ve got to be at the table, but we all contribute and we all act in some way to make sure that guardrails are in place,” he said.

In short, Singapore’s experience underscores a broader truth: nations that are digitally advanced and highly reliant on technology – whether small like Singapore or large like the US and China – will face AI challenges sooner. The key, as Tharman insists, lies in upskilling, collaboration, and global guardrails to ensure AI becomes a force for mass flourishing rather than division.

Business News