A human-centred AI future

SINGAPORE celebrates 60 years of independence in 2025 – a milestone that reflects a full cycle in Chinese culture and, more pointedly, the dawn of a new era of transformation. In his Budget 2025 speech, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong framed this anniversary as a moment for courage and determination, urging Singaporeans to embrace change and navigate an increasingly complex world together.

As we charge into this new cycle of nation-building, two powerful forces will shape Singapore’s next era: technology and people. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating productivity and innovation at an unprecedented scale, but, at the same time, social intelligence – the ability of humans to interact, collaborate, and make sense of these changes – risks falling behind.

The promise of AI is vast, but its potential will only be fully realised through human agency and intervention. Societies that harness technology for productive ends will thrive, while those that fail to adapt may see widening inequalities. Nowhere is this clearer than in our economy. Singapore’s gross domestic product per capita is among the highest in the world, yet the distribution of economic value produced is uneven. As at 2020, only about 50 per cent of every S$100 generated went to labour. This is significantly lower than the roughly 60 per cent labour share in the economies in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.