AI Influence Profile
He Ting Ru
Positioning
Member of Parliament. Spoke in 15 AI-related parliamentary debates (2023–2026), most often on AI Economy & Industry and AI & Employment.
Parliamentary AI record (15)
Review of Singapore's Water Security Due to Rising Demands from Data Centres, Urban Expansion and Climate Variability
2026-05-07 · Parliament 15
Workers' Party MP Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, with rising water demands from data centres, urban expansion and climate variability affecting local reservoirs, for the latest assessment of Singapore's water-insecurity risks — particularly ahead of the 2061 Johor Water Agreement expiry — and what accelerated measures are planned so the Four National Taps meet future needs without compromising food production or household supply. Minister Grace Fu replied that PUB continues to plan ahead and invest in water infrastructure, factoring in economic and population growth and climate change, and has diversified supply through the Four National Taps, including weather-resilient desalinated water and NEWater. Ms He pressed on two points: first, citing the World Bank's view that water is shifting from a background resource to a binding constraint and estimates of up to 6% GDP impact by 2050, how this systemic-risk framing — including plans to build databanks — is incorporated into fiscal and forward estimates for infrastructure planning; and second, given that the Middle East conflict has driven up energy prices, the impact on energy-intensive desalination costs and how Singapore is responding to prolonged energy-price volatility. Ms Fu reiterated that climate change is built into long-term water planning, that energy cost is a driver PUB has always watched, that PUB keeps seeking new technology to lower production costs including energy, and that recent Middle East events, while exacerbating cost pressure, do not change the long-term focus on bringing costs down.
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) Transition with No Jobless Growth (Main Debate)
2026-05-06 · Parliament 15
On 6 May Parliament resumed debate on NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng's motion "An AI Transition with No Jobless Growth", with around 20 MPs speaking in the most substantive AI debate of the 15th Parliament to date. The motion asked the House to recognise AI's transformative power for Singapore's next phase of growth, anchor AI-enabled growth in fairness, resilience and opportunity for all, equip workers and enterprises, and affirm that Singapore must not have jobless growth. PAP and labour MPs focused on job redesign, Company Training Committees and the new Tripartite Jobs Council. Workers' Party MPs all supported the motion but proposed structural alternatives: Gerald Giam a National AI Equity Fund paying every adult citizen a $500 annual dividend plus an on-the-job mastery fund; Andre Low a redundancy insurance with no income ceiling, a retraining tax credit and an annual "AI gains audit"; Kenneth Tiong universal premium AI tool access and sovereign-level engagement with frontier AI firms. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng rejected the WP proposals as "a settlement" rather than empowerment, cited an MOM survey that only about 6% of AI-adopting firms cut headcount, and committed to studying a higher Jobseeker Support income threshold and earlier retrenchment notification. Speakers on both sides declared support for the motion.
Assessment of AI Impact on Worker Competitiveness and Employability, and Targeted Support Interventions for Affected Workers
2026-05-06 · Parliament 15
Workers' Party MP Ms He Ting Ru filed two written questions to the Minister for Manpower on AI's impact on the labour market: the latest assessment of the salary premium for AI skills and how it varies by sector and seniority, and the top occupations at risk of displacement plus targeted interventions for clerical, back-office and entry-level knowledge workers. Dr Tan See Leng replied that MOM data shows PMETs in infocomm, financial services and professional services have seen relatively higher retrenchment incidence in recent years, indicating ongoing restructuring rather than a contraction in PMET demand. MOM has no data on AI-skill salary premiums as corporate AI adoption is still at an early stage. Support measures include Workforce Singapore's Career Conversion Programmes for workers in clerical and back-office roles, the Graduate Industry Traineeship scheme for fresh graduates without full-time jobs, and SkillsFuture Singapore's simplified AI learning pathways. Later this year, Singaporeans taking eligible AI training courses will receive six months' complimentary access to premium AI tools. The Government will keep monitoring the labour market and calibrating support.
MOH Committee of Supply 2026 — AI as National Healthcare Mission
2026-03-04 · Parliament 15
During the MOH Committee of Supply debate, MP Mariam Jaafar delivered a landmark speech on AI in healthcare policy. She put a bigger question to the Minister: if healthcare is truly a national AI mission, the goal cannot just be incremental adoption — Singapore must build a complete system (infrastructure, governance, talent, and the underlying plumbing) so that AI safely, effectively and at scale improves outcomes for every patient. She identified the need to cultivate "translator" talent fluent in both clinical realities and machine learning. Once AI is shown to deliver real patient benefit safely and reliably at scale, Singapore will gain a decisive global competitive advantage.
MDDI Committee of Supply 2026 — AI as Strategic Advantage
2026-03-02 · Parliament 15
The most AI-intensive debate in Budget 2026. The MDDI GPC delivered coordinated scrutiny across six themes: AI value proposition, digital capabilities, ethical governance, inclusive growth, infrastructure and cybersecurity, and a high-trust digital society. Minister Josephine Teo announced: (1) support for 100,000 workers to become "AI bilingual", starting with accountancy and legal professions and scaled via TeSA; (2) the world's first Model Governance Framework for Agentic AI; (3) Singapore will host the second International Scientific Exchange on AI Safety to update the "Singapore Consensus"; (4) targeted action to close the SME AI gap so that frontier firms do not pull away. MP focus areas: deepfake regulation (Christopher de Souza), AI media literacy (Fadli Fawzi), data centre investment competition, AI impact on PMEs, and cybersecurity against AI-enabled threats.
Committee of Supply – Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)
2025-03-03 · Parliament 14
MPs asked how the government partners community groups and the public to safeguard Singapore's racial and religious harmony and respond to the global trust deficit in public institutions. They highlighted the threat of rumours and misinformation to social cohesion and called for collective effort. The government response is not included in the excerpt; the core debate is on balancing policy enforcement with community participation to strengthen public trust in law-enforcement institutions.
Current and Projected AI-specific Computing Power Available and Plans for National Cloud
2024-11-13 · Parliament 14
An MP asked about the scale of Singapore's AI-specific compute, plans for a national cloud, and the related legal framework. The government replied that Singapore's data centre capacity leads the region, AI compute is dynamically allocated, demand is met via the National Supercomputing Centre and commercial cloud, and there is no current mandate for private data centres to contribute compute. The core debate: whether legislation should mandate private-sector participation in a national cloud.
Enrolment and Graduation Rates of Female vis-a-vis Male Students in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Courses
2024-11-11 · Parliament 14
An MP asked about female enrolment and graduation rates in AI and machine learning programmes at Singapore's IHLs over the past five years, comparison with male students, and measures to lift female participation. The government replied that women make up about a quarter of enrolment, with graduation rates above 90%, and outlined multiple programmes and partnerships to push women's participation in AI/STEM. The core debate: low female participation and how to effectively raise it.
Gender Gaps in AI-adoption and Initiatives to Encourage Better AI Technologies Adoption in Educational and Workplace Settings
2024-10-16 · Parliament 14
Questions focused on the gender gap in Singapore's AI adoption (especially generative AI) and acceptance among different groups. The government replied that Singapore women's tech-sector share outperforms the global average and women make up a notable share of generative AI users. It outlined multiple AI education and training programmes for different groups, emphasising inclusion and broad reach. The core debate: how to design more effective targeted strategies for specific groups.
Accuracy of Deepfake Detection Technologies and Differentiating Between Harmful Deepfakes and Legitimate Political Satire or Memes
2024-08-07 · Parliament 14
An MP asked about the accuracy of the government's deepfake detection tools, how to distinguish harmful deepfakes from legitimate political satire, and how false positives are handled. The government replied that tools are constantly updated and accuracy rates are not published, with harmful content addressed under POFMA; satire is not automatically unlawful. It is studying international experience on whether further election-safety safeguards are needed. The core debate: balance between technical transparency and free speech.
Committee of Supply – Head V (Ministry of Trade and Industry)
2024-03-01 · Parliament 14
MPs asked how Singapore will drive growth under land, manpower and carbon constraints, focusing on the opportunities and challenges from emerging technologies like generative AI. The government emphasised keeping the country attractive for investment, strengthening manufacturing and services, and lifting infrastructure and talent development, with policy stability to handle global competition and tech change. The core debate: balancing innovation with a solid economic base.
Debate on Annual Budget Statement
2024-02-27 · Parliament 14
The debate focused on the path to economic growth in Singapore's Budget 2024, against a backdrop of global slowdown, high inflation and rising geopolitical uncertainty. The government emphasised structural reform and support for firms and households to navigate challenges, driving long-term sustainability. References to tech innovation, automation, and AI's impact on jobs and industry competitiveness reflected concern over AI governance and industrial development. The core debate: how to balance growth with social protection and respond to rising global protectionism.
Regulatory Framework for Artificial Intelligence Governance in Singapore
2023-04-21 · Parliament 14
MPs focused on whether Singapore is studying EU and China AI regulatory frameworks, the priority areas, and the legislative timeline. The government cited the existing Model AI Governance Framework and the AI Verify tool, emphasised ongoing review of regulatory strategy, and planned guidance on personal data protection. MPs followed up on specific risks like AI-enabled scams; the government noted AI is a group of technologies and emphasised the need to differentiate among them, reflecting a cautious approach to regulation.
Committee of Supply – Head Q (Ministry of Communications and Information)
2023-02-28 · Parliament 14
MPs asked how Singapore balances data use with user protection in the digital economy, focusing on online-safety legislation progress and regulation of emerging areas like the metaverse. They stressed that rules must protect users without stifling innovation, especially SME digitalisation. The government's response is not yet detailed in the excerpt. The core debate: balancing the digital economy with cybersecurity.
Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)
2023-02-28 · Parliament 14
MPs raised the education budget and career-guidance support, emphasising educators' contributions during the pandemic and the importance of future skills development. They proposed stronger career counselling for youth and working adults and broader use of SkillsFuture Credit for lifelong learning. The government has not yet responded in this excerpt. The core debate: how to better support youth career development and skills matching.