Singapore is moving to prepare workers for wider AI adoption, as the government warns that the technology will reshape jobs faster than earlier waves of automation.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said AI is already changing work across software development, administration and other industries.
Speaking at the May Day Rally 2026, Wong pointed to the rise of AI agents, which can plan and complete complex tasks on behalf of users.
He said Singapore has set up the National AI Council to coordinate AI adoption, build capabilities and position the country as a hub for AI innovation.
Wong cited Google DeepMind’s Singapore lab, its first AI research lab in Southeast Asia, as one example of Singapore’s growing AI ecosystem.
He also pointed to DBS, which has embedded AI across its operations after more than a decade of investment.
DBS is training employees to use AI tools and build solutions for their own work.
Wong cited one employee who now leads a 20-person team driving AI projects in the bank’s Customer Centre as an example of how workers can move into new roles as the technology becomes more widely used.
AI Skills Support to Be Expanded in Singapore
Wong said AI will improve productivity but also disrupt industries and change jobs.
Some roles may disappear, but Singapore will focus on protecting workers rather than preserving every job.
The government will combine Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore into a new entity called the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), jointly overseen by the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Education.
Singapore is also redesigning the SkillsFuture portal to help workers find relevant courses.
Workers who sign up for these courses will get six months of free access to premium AI tools.
Wong said many workers already use AI, but often only as an enhanced search tool, leaving more room for practical workplace adoption.
The government also plans to scale up Company Training Committees for the AI transition, with the Tripartite Jobs Council coordinating efforts across government, unions and employers.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on a screengrab from Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore via YouTube
