KEY FOCUS AREAS
NAIRD focuses on three key areas: fundamental AI research, applied AI research, and talent.
Despite progress, AI development has “fundamental limitations”, Ms Teo said.
“For example, AI training and inference remains extremely resource-intensive. Their energy and water consumption cannot be ignored,” she said, adding that Singapore already has one of the densest concentrations of data center capacity in the region.
Under the plan, Singapore will create centers of excellence in AI research that will host local and international researchers.
The research centers of excellence, housed in public research institutions, will focus on “difficult, long-term questions”, Ms Teo said.
They will advance research and development efforts in areas such as responsible AI, which protects against AI risks and protects AI systems from exploitation.
These research centers will also examine reducing AI’s reliance on data, emerging AI methodologies, and general-purpose AI, such as developing AI that can multitask across different domains.
In terms of applied research, the plan will build the capabilities needed to support the adoption and application of AI in industry and initiatives in research, innovation and enterprise.
Ms Teo said the updated plan aims to cultivate “bilingual research talents” who are proficient in AI and have expertise in the field.
“We also aim to develop core AI engineering capabilities for the translation of theory into systems and applications,” she added.
In order to build a talent pool, the plan will continue to support initiatives aimed at developing young people’s interest in AI research. For example, the Singapore National AI Olympiad prepares pre-university students to compete at the international level.
At the tertiary level, the plan aims to provide students with exposure to top AI research institutions, both locally and abroad, by continuing to scale up domestic programs such as the AI Singapore PhD Scholarship Program and the Accelerated Masters Program in AI.
Singapore has also established faculty support and development programs, through the AI Visiting Professorship, which facilitates collaboration between local and international researchers. To date, the program has supported eight awardees.
Ms Teo said centers of excellence in AI research will also be “important platforms” for talent development.
“At the same time, we will continue to attract leading AI startups and technology companies to base their research and innovation teams in Singapore,” she said.