S’pore to ensure gains from AI rollout are shared widely: PM Wong

Published Oct 08, 2026, 11:44 PM

Updated Oct 08, 2026, 11:44 PM

- PM Wong said Singapore will share AI gains widely and protect workers, not every job, by tapping unions, fair retrenchment rules, and retraining support.

- He said the AI boom has boosted its GDP, but Singapore must use this window to build new skills and better jobs.

- Wong called for international AI safety rules, sector-specific oversight, and an open Singapore that connects with more regions, including Latin America and Africa.

SINGAPORE - Singapore’s approach to artificial intelligence is to ensure that the benefits of the technology are shared widely in its adoption, and to protect every worker rather than every job.

The Republic can achieve this because it has built a strong compact between the Government, employers and unions over the decades that is focused on achieving win-win outcomes for everyone, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the Forbes Global CEO Conference at Shangri-La Singapore hotel on Oct 8.

In a dialogue with Forbes Media chairman and editor-in-chief Steve Forbes, PM Wong was asked how Singapore is dealing with the displacement of jobs that will result from the transition to an AI world.

He replied that unlike some countries that see unions as obstacles, the city-state embraces unions as partners with a role to play in the rollout of AI.

For instance, government grants for enterprise transformation are administered by the unions, and firms are expected to help their workers reskill when they access grants to build their IT capabilities.

“It does not mean that the company cannot lay off workers, because with automation some jobs may be lost,” said PM Wong.

“But what we ask is that companies are fair - go for retrenchments only as a last resort, and if you have to retrench, treat the workers fairly, pay them retrenchment benefits, give them advance notice, and inform the unions so that the unions can work alongside the workers, help them to retrain and eventually get a job.”

Singapore has managed GDP growth of 5% for three consecutive years in part because it has major firms here such as GlobalFoundries and Micron that make specialty chips that are in demand due to the AI boom, but also because it has built an eco-system for semiconductors, said the Prime Minister.

“It’s not just that the AI boom has benefited the semiconductor industry and the related industries. We have also seen positive spillovers into other industries like logistics and professional services,” he added.

However, no boom is forever, he warned. The Republic’s approach has been to capitalise on this window of opportunity to build new capabilities, and to create better jobs for Singaporeans.

Asked about regulations for AI, PM Wong said he sees two aspects to AI safety.

The first has to do with the risks posed by a loss of control of more powerful, autonomous AI systems, and of rogue actors using these capabilities to do terrible damage at large scale, whether through bioterrorism, cyber attacks or by creating weapons of mass destruction.

He welcomed the United States’ move to appoint a task force to oversee this space, but that the rules and standards for frontier AI development have to be international, perhaps under the auspices of the United Nations.

The second aspect is in the application of AI, and the requirements there will vary from sector to sector, said PM Wong.

He cited how Singapore is testing autonomous cars to understand the safety requirements. These vehicles will eventually be rolled out here, but this will be done with regulatory oversight to make sure they are safe, and progressively so that the impact on existing drivers is also managed.

“So that’s our overall approach at the sectoral level: focusing on the application of AI, but making sure that we do so responsibly and safely, and that AI benefits a wide segment of the workforce,” he said.

PM Wong noted that countries everywhere are putting up more barriers to protect their own industries and jobs, and that the pendulum has swung away from free trade.

But Singapore is determined to remain open and to continue being a place where businesses can innovate, invest, and plan for the long-term with confidence.

Even in a fragmented world, different regions still need to connect with one another, and Singapore hopes to be one of these connectors, he added.

The city-state’s strategy is to deepen and diversify its connections, which includes stepping up connections with existing partners and tapping opportunities with new regions like Latin America and Africa when it becomes ASEAN chair in 2027.

“We hope to be a light on the hill, shining brightly in a dark world,” he said.

发布于 2026 年 10 月 8 日晚上 11:44

更新于2026年10月8日晚上11:44

- 黄之锋总理表示，新加坡将广泛分享人工智能带来的成果，并通过与工会合作、制定公平的裁员规则和提供再培训支持来保护工人，而不是保护每一个工作岗位。

他表示，人工智能的蓬勃发展提振了新加坡的GDP，但新加坡必须利用这一契机培养新技能，创造更好的就业机会。

- 黄之锋呼吁制定国际人工智能安全规则、行业特定监管，并呼吁新加坡成为一个开放的平台，与包括拉丁美洲和非洲在内的更多地区建立联系。

新加坡——新加坡对待人工智能的态度是确保这项技术带来的益处在其广泛应用过程中得到共享，并且保护的是每一位劳动者，而不是每一个工作岗位。

新加坡总理黄循财于10月8日在新加坡香格里拉酒店举行的福布斯全球首席执行官大会上表示，新加坡之所以能够取得这样的成就，是因为几十年来，政府、雇主和工会之间建立了牢固的契约，致力于实现所有人的双赢结果。

在与福布斯传媒董事长兼总编辑史蒂夫·福布斯的对话中，黄英贤总理被问及新加坡将如何应对向人工智能世界转型所带来的工作岗位流失问题。

他回应说，与一些将工会视为障碍的国家不同，这个城邦国家将工会视为合作伙伴，认为工会可以在人工智能的推广中发挥作用。

例如，政府为企业转型提供的拨款由工会管理，企业在获得拨款以提升其 IT 能力时，应帮助其员工进行技能再培训。

黄循财总理表示：“这并不意味着公司不能裁员，因为自动化可能会导致一些工作岗位消失。”

“但我们要求的是，企业要公平——只有在万不得已的情况下才裁员，如果必须裁员，请公平对待工人，支付他们裁员补偿金，提前通知他们，并通知工会，以便工会可以与工人一起努力，帮助他们重新培训，最终找到工作。”

新加坡总理表示，新加坡连续三年实现 5% 的 GDP 增长，部分原因是新加坡拥有像 GlobalFoundries 和 Micron 这样生产特种芯片的大型企业，这些芯片因人工智能的蓬勃发展而需求旺盛；但更重要的是，新加坡已经建立了一个半导体生态系统。

“人工智能的蓬勃发展不仅惠及半导体行业及相关产业，我们也看到它对物流和专业服务等其他行业产生了积极的溢出效应，”他补充道。

但他警告说，繁荣不会永远持续下去。新加坡政府的策略是抓住这一机遇窗口，发展新的能力，并为新加坡人创造更好的就业机会。

当被问及人工智能监管问题时，黄循财总理表示，他认为人工智能安全有两个方面。

第一个风险与失去对更强大、更自主的人工智能系统的控制所带来的风险有关，以及流氓行为者利用这些能力大规模造成可怕破坏的风险，无论是通过生物恐怖主义、网络攻击还是制造大规模杀伤性武器。

他欢迎美国任命一个特别工作组来监督这一领域，但认为前沿人工智能发展的规则和标准必须是国际性的，或许可以在联合国的主持下进行。

黄循财总理表示，第二个方面是人工智能的应用，而不同行业的需求也会有所不同。

他举例说，新加坡正在测试自动驾驶汽车，以了解其安全要求。这些车辆最终也会在英国推出，但会在监管的监督下进行，以确保其安全性，并采取循序渐进的方式，以控制对现有驾驶员的影响。

“所以，这就是我们在行业层面的总体方针：专注于人工智能的应用，但要确保我们以负责任和安全的方式进行，并确保人工智能惠及广大劳动者，”他说。

黄总理指出，世界各国都在设置更多壁垒来保护本国产业和就业，自由贸易的天平已经向相反的方向倾斜。

但新加坡决心保持开放，继续成为企业可以充满信心地进行创新、投资和制定长期计划的地方。

他补充说，即使在世界日益分裂的情况下，不同地区仍然需要相互联系，新加坡希望成为这些连接者之一。

该城邦的战略是深化和多元化其联系，包括加强与现有伙伴的联系，并在2027年担任东盟轮值主席国时，抓住与拉丁美洲和非洲等新地区的机遇。

他说：“我们希望成为山上的一盏明灯，在黑暗的世界里闪耀光芒。”