A coalition of digital government agencies in Singapore are launching generative AI sandboxes and workshops with the aim to develop 100 generative AI use cases in 100 days.
The ‘AI Trailblazers’ initiative is being led by the Ministry of Communications and Information, Digital Industry Singapore, and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO), in partnership with Google Cloud.
Government agencies and businesses in Singapore will gain free access to Google Cloud’s AI tools for up to three months through ‘innovation sandboxes’ to build and test their solutions. Workshops will be conducted for eight batches of participants from now until Sept 30, with the aim to address 100 real world challenges that would benefit from generative AI.
Speaking at the launch of AI Trailblazers, Minister for Communications and Information, Josephine Teo, said the initiative will allow the state to tap into the dynamism and capabilities of the private sector.
“Of course, our ambitions don’t stop in the hundreds,” he said. “Our ambitions have to be in the thousands, and in the not-so-distant future – the tens of thousands. But the journey of a thousand miles still has to begin with the first step. I think that’s exactly what this initiative is.”
One of the teams participating is part of the Ministry of Manpower, the Singapore department responsible for policies related to the workforce. They plan to use AI to provide workers with targeted career guidance, including job and training recommendations. Another participating team aims to help school counsellors produce comprehensive case notes more efficiently, freeing up time to focus on the wellness of their students
“The transformative potential of AI appears to be much more within reach and for many more people,” Teo said. “With the expanding possibilities, the scope to harness AI for public good outcomes – at speed and scale – have multiplied accordingly.”