Written Answer · 2026-10-07 · Parliament 15
Decision on Introducing Free Premium AI Access for Students in Institutes of Higher Learning
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Education what oversight role MOE plays when institutes of higher learning introduce free premium AI access for students, how risks such as cognitive offloading and over-reliance are considered, and what safeguards will protect learning outcomes. Mr Desmond Lee replied that MOE provides guidelines to IHLs, which have institutional policies with guardrails against misuse; IHLs review curricula, pedagogy and assessment to manage these risks, ban AI use where independent mastery must be shown, redesign assessments (e.g. presentations and projects) where AI is allowed, and train students in AI's limitations.
Why it matters
MOE does not approve IHLs' free premium AI plans directly; it manages them through guidelines and institutional policies, and AI is barred where students must show independent mastery.
Key Points
- • MOE provides guidelines to IHLs on using AI in teaching and assessment.
- • IHLs set institutional policies under these guidelines, with guardrails against AI misuse and harm to learning.
- • IHLs review curricula, pedagogy and assessment practices to address risks like cognitive offloading and overreliance.
- • AI use is banned where students must demonstrate independent mastery of concepts.
- • Where AI is allowed, IHLs redesign assessments (e.g. presentations and projects) and train students to understand AI's limitations and use it discerningly.
The Government said MOE manages AI use in IHLs through guidelines and institution-led policies, relying on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment reforms to manage risk, without committing to direct approval or uniform central control over IHLs' free AI access plans.
Ms He Ting Ru was concerned that IHLs' free premium AI access could lead to cognitive offloading and over-reliance among students, harming learning outcomes.
This signals that Singapore's higher-education AI policy relies on institution-level governance and curriculum/assessment adjustments, rather than centralised MOE control over how IHLs adopt or manage AI tools.
"AI use is prohibited where students are required to demonstrate independent mastery of concepts and understanding."
Participants (2)
Original Text (English)
SPRS Hansard · Fetched: 2026-10-21
40 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Education (a) what oversight role the Ministry plays in institutes of higher learning's decisions to introduce free premium AI access for students; (b) what considerations, including risks of cognitive offloading and over-reliance, are made in assessing such plans; and (c) what safeguards will be put in place to prevent adverse effects on learning outcomes.
Mr Desmond Lee : The Ministry of Education provides guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and assessment to the institutes of higher learning (IHLs). In line with these guidelines, all IHLs have institutional policies to ensure that AI use support learning, with guardrails against misuse and adverse impact on learning.
The IHLs safeguard learning outcomes by reviewing their curricula, pedagogy and assessment practices to address risks, such as cognitive offloading and overreliance arising from AI use. For example, AI use is prohibited where students are required to demonstrate independent mastery of concepts and understanding. Where AI use is allowed, assessments are redesigned to continue testing students' knowledge, judgement and application of learning, such as through presentations and projects. IHLs also train students to understand AI's limitations and use it discerningly.