May Day Rally: PM Wong pledges 'new and better' jobs as AI transforms Singapore's economy

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New and better jobs, a promise from the Prime Minister as AI transforms the economy. PM Wong also pledged to protect every worker and urged Singaporeans to do their part by learning and using the technology. Nicholas Ong with more. Drafting emails, summarizing reports, and even writing code are tasks that AI tools like ChatGPT can do. But the next phase of the technology is creating AI agents that don't need humans to intervene. The impact will be massive. AI will not just improve productivity. It will disrupt and reshape entire industries. Singapore must ready ourselves to succeed in this new environment. And that's why we've set up the national AI council to coordinate our national effort. Our goal is clear, to build deep AI capabilities to drive adoption across our economy and to make Singapore a hub for AI innovation.

But ultimately, our key objective is to ensure that AI benefits every worker with better jobs and better opportunities. Singapore's AI strategy is already bearing fruit. Global firms have chosen the country to lay roots, like Google basing their first Southeast Asia research lab here. They are joined by an increasing number of fast-growing startups in the sector. Besides supporting firms in using the tech, much focus has also been in preparing workers for the transition. AI is far more powerful than spreadsheets. So, the impact on our workplaces will be much greater. And that's why I cannot promise that there will be no disruption. Jobs will change. Some will disappear. And the pace of change will be faster than anything we have seen before. But this I can promise you, as our economy transforms, we will create new and better jobs.

We may not be able to protect every job, but we will protect every worker. Because in Singapore, every worker matters. Bringing about such inclusive growth, that does not happen by itself. And we will not leave it to chance or to the market entirely. Instead, we will take deliberate steps to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all. Among the steps to do that is a new agency, the Skills and Workforce Development Agency or SWDA, which will bring skills training and job matching closer together. The government will provide the tools, the pathways, and the support. But we also need Singaporeans to step forward. Do not let anxiety or uncertainty hold you back from learning and using AI. AI is here to stay. So, embrace it, learn it, use it, and master it. Companies that do so will stay competitive.

Workers who build AI skills will have better opportunities and prospects. To help Singaporeans pick up these skills, those signing up for some SkillsFuture courses can get premium AI tools for free for 6 months.