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SINGAPORE BUDGET 2026

Budget 2026: More AI learning support for workers, including free premium tools

The SkillsFuture website will also be redesigned to make relevant AI courses easier to identify 

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Low Youjin

Low Youjin

Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 04:05 PM
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    • Budget 2026 is the first since last year’s General Election, and the first in this term of government.
    • Budget 2026 is the first since last year’s General Election, and the first in this term of government. PHOTO: TAY CHU YI, BT

     Follow The Business Times’ live coverage of Singapore’s Budget 2026 here.

    [SINGAPORE] Workers can expect more artificial intelligence (AI) related support from the government to help them navigate its growing prevalence in the workplace, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong during his Budget speech on Thursday (Feb 12).

    This includes providing Singaporeans who take up selected AI training courses six months of free access to premium AI tools.

    Wong, who is also Prime Minister, noted that while most AI tools are free at the basic level, access to more advanced models requires a paid subscription. 

    Having access to the premium versions, he said, will help encourage learning by allowing workers to “practise, experiment and apply what they have learnt”.  

    That said, PM Wong acknowledged that while there are a wide range of AI-related courses on the SkillsFuture website to choose from, it is “not always easy to navigate the options and identify what is most relevant”.

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    To that end, the SkillsFuture website will be redesigned to make AI learning pathways clearer and easier to access, so that Singaporeans can “quickly find courses that match their work needs and proficiency levels”.

    To support workers through this transition to an AI-enabled economy, the government will help them build practical AI capabilities. It will start with the accountancy and legal professionals, and progressively extend this to other fields, said PM Wong.

    More details on the AI-related initiatives will be announced by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Trade and Industry and their respective Committee of Supply debates, said PM Wong.

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    For more of BT’s Budget 2026 coverage, go to bt.sg/budget26

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