Singapore releases new initiatives on AI governance for consumer trust

Singapore

A YEAR after releasing a framework on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used ethically, Singapore on Tuesday unveiled a set of new initiatives on AI governance aimed at enhancing consumer trust.

The initiatives include an Implementation and Self-Assessment Guide for Organisations (ISAGO), a Compendium of Use Cases and the second edition of the Model AI Governance Framework.

These were jointly announced by S Iswaran, Minister for Communications, and Kay Firth-Butterfield, AI portfolio head at the World Economic Forum (WEF), at the WEF's annual meeting in Davos.

V K Rajah SC, chairman of Singapore's Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data, said: "As AI becomes more pervasive, it is important to build a trusted environment for its use through a multi-stakeholder effort involving public, private and people sectors.

"Singapore took a huge step today by leading the way in building and sustaining a trusted AI environment."

The first edition of the Model AI Governance Framework was also announced by Mr Iswaran at the 2019 meeting in Davos.

This second edition is a refinement of the original and includes additional considerations, such as robustness and reproducibility, IMDA said. For instance, the section on customer relationship management now touches on interactions with a broader network of stakeholders.

The ISAGO is the result of a year-long collaboration between Singapore's Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the WEF's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution meant to further AI and data discourse and innovation, IMDA said in a press statement.

The ISAGO is intended as a companion guide to the model framework, and IMDA hopes it can help organisations assess the alignment of their AI governance practices with the framework, IMDA said.

The authority added that it was developed in close consultation with the industry, with contributions from over 60 organisations, including DBS Bank, Google, KPMG and Microsoft.

The compendium, which complements the model framework and ISAGO, demonstrates how local and international organisations have implemented or aligned their AI governance practices with all sections of the model framework.

Lam Chee Kin, group head of legal, compliance and secretariat at DBS Bank, said the model framework has helped DBS develop its view on how to govern AI.

"By using the thinking contemplated in the framework, we can identify tough questions around ethics and supervision of AI, and from the answers, we can build better processes," he said.

Zia Hayat, chief executive and founder of fraud detection firm Callsign, said being able to refer back to the model framework is an additional reassurance for the company's customers that they are in safe hands.

"Its detail is incredibly beneficial for validation as we navigate difficult ethical governance questions and resolve them in an appropriate timeframe," Mr Hayat said.

Singapore launched its national AI strategy last November, alongside five AI projects that can deliver social and economic impact for Singaporeans.