Singapore asks major tech firms for full transparency, quicker information-sharing amid AI risks: Shanmugam

The companies have generally expressed “an attitude of cooperation”, said Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam.

Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam speaking to the media on Oct 13, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

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SINGAPORE: Singapore has asked major tech firms for “full transparency immediately” and quicker sharing of information amid rising risks from artificial intelligence (AI), said Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on Tuesday (Oct 13).

Speaking to reporters at the Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW) conference at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, he said: “I met some firms in different contexts, face-to-face meetings as well as in a broader setting with ministers during lunch. They included all the major firms: OpenAI, Anthropic, we had Google, Amazon and others.

“The key ask from Singapore, as well as many of the other countries, was: when some things happen, can we have full transparency immediately?

“Because we need to know something when it happens at almost real time, in fact, in real time, and we need to know exactly what's happened, because the companies will know that to the extent that they know.”

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Countries are dependent on these major tech companies as they have the technology, platforms and resources. He said another key ask was for the firms to exchange notes with governments and to notify them early when something happens. He referenced the incident in Australia where an OpenAI agent breached a government health data portal in June, gaining unauthorised access to files. It had taken three months to inform the Australian government of the incident. Last week, OpenAI and Anthropic told the Australian parliament that they would welcome laws requiring them to report data breaches carried out by their AI agents, acknowledging the decision to notify authorities was currently at their discretion. When asked if the companies agreed to Singapore’s asks, Mr Shanmugam said that “generally the companies have expressed an attitude of cooperation”, and that it was a work in progress and talks were ongoing.

Countries are dependent on these major tech companies as they have the technology, platforms and resources.

He said another key ask was for the firms to exchange notes with governments and to notify them early when something happens.

He referenced the incident in Australia where an OpenAI agent breached a government health data portal in June, gaining unauthorised access to files.

It had taken three months to inform the Australian government of the incident.

Last week, OpenAI and Anthropic told the Australian parliament that they would welcome laws requiring them to report data breaches carried out by their AI agents, acknowledging the decision to notify authorities was currently at their discretion.

When asked if the companies agreed to Singapore’s asks, Mr Shanmugam said that “generally the companies have expressed an attitude of cooperation”, and that it was a work in progress and talks were ongoing.

CONTROL OF CUTTING-EDGE TOOLS

Mr Shanmugam also made a case for controlling the public availability of cutting-edge AI tools.

“I will put the question this way: can AI be used by bad people to create a lot of damage?” he asked.

“If the answer is yes – and I think most people think the answer is yes, that bad people, if they get access to the cutting-edge tools, can create havoc and even cause widespread physical damage (and) kill people – if that is so, then would you automatically make it available broadly? Or would you put a framework around it as to who can access it?”

Drawing a comparison to powerful weapon systems, Mr Shanmugam said that “there are reasons why these things are controlled” and that there is a reason to be careful about who can access such tools.

When asked if Singapore is in talks with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries on coordinating responses to rogue AI agent attacks, Mr Shanmugam said that a number of countries from the bloc were present at SICW and that “the discussions were common to us”.

He added that ASEAN officials and ministers also spoke up during a closed-door roundtable between political leaders and industry figures.

Mr Shanmugam added that ASEAN has its own framework for dealing with cyber issues, but it is a work in progress and “a lot has to be done”.

“We are all catching up on this issue of AI, and each country is focused on its own issues. ASEAN collectively has some work to do in trying to deal with it together too, so these are discussions that have to carry on,” he said.

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国家安全统筹部长兼高级部长尚穆根表示，这些公司普遍表现出“合作态度”。

国家安全统筹部长兼内政部长尚穆根于2026年10月13日接受媒体采访。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：新加坡高级部长兼国家安全统筹部长尚穆根周二（10月13日）表示，鉴于人工智能（AI）带来的风险日益增加，新加坡已要求主要科技公司“立即做到完全透明”，并加快信息共享。

在新加坡滨海湾金沙会展中心举行的新加坡国际网络安全周（SICW）大会上，他向记者表示：“我与一些公司在不同的场合会面，包括面对面会谈以及在午餐期间与部长们的更广泛场合。这些公司包括所有主要公司：OpenAI、Anthropic，还有谷歌、亚马逊等等。”

新加坡以及许多其他国家提出的关键要求是：当某些事情发生时，我们能否立即获得完全的透明度？

“因为我们需要几乎实时地了解正在发生的事情，事实上，我们需要实时地了解，而且我们需要确切地知道发生了什么，因为公司会根据他们所了解的程度来判断。”

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 各国依赖这些大型科技公司，因为它们拥有技术、平台和资源。他说，另一个关键要求是这些公司与政府交换意见，并在发生事件时尽早通知政府。他提到了澳大利亚发生的事件，OpenAI的代理程序在6月份入侵了一个政府健康数据门户网站，未经授权访问了文件。澳大利亚政府花了三个月的时间才获悉此事。上周，OpenAI和Anthropic告诉澳大利亚议会，他们欢迎立法要求他们报告其人工智能代理程序造成的数据泄露事件，并承认目前是否通知当局由他们自行决定。当被问及这些公司是否同意新加坡的要求时，尚穆根先生表示，“总体而言，这些公司都表达了合作的态度”，这项工作仍在进行中，谈判仍在继续。

各国都依赖于这些大型科技公司，因为它们拥有技术、平台和资源。

他说，另一个关键要求是，企业应与政府交换意见，并在发生某些事情时及时通知政府。

他提到了澳大利亚发生的一起事件，当时 OpenAI 的一个代理程序在 6 月份入侵了政府的健康数据门户网站，未经授权访问了文件。

花了三个月时间才将这起事件告知澳大利亚政府。

上周，OpenAI 和 Anthropic 向澳大利亚议会表示，他们欢迎立法要求他们报告其人工智能代理所进行的数据泄露事件，并承认目前是否通知当局由他们自行决定。

当被问及这些公司是否同意新加坡的要求时，尚穆根先生表示，“总体而言，这些公司都表达了合作的态度”，而且这项工作仍在进行中，谈判仍在继续。

尖端刀具的控制

尚穆根先生还提出要控制尖端人工智能工具的公开使用。

他问道：“我这样问：人工智能是否会被坏人利用来造成巨大破坏？”

“如果答案是肯定的——而且我认为大多数人都认为答案是肯定的，即坏人如果获得了尖端工具，就能制造混乱，甚至造成大范围的物质破坏（和）杀人——如果真是这样，那么你会直接让这些工具广泛使用吗？还是会制定一个框架来限制谁可以使用这些工具？”

尚穆根先生将此类工具比作强大的武器系统，他说：“这些东西受到管制是有原因的”，而且谨慎选择哪些人可以接触到这些工具也是有原因的。

当被问及新加坡是否正在与其他东南亚国家联盟（东盟）国家就协调应对失控人工智能代理攻击进行磋商时，尚穆根先生表示，东盟的一些国家出席了新加坡国际网络安全周（SICW），并且“这些讨论对我们来说是共同的”。

他还补充说，东盟官员和部长们也在政治领导人和行业人士举行的闭门圆桌会议上发表了意见。

尚穆根先生补充说，东盟有自己的网络安全问题应对框架，但这仍处于完善阶段，“还有很多工作要做”。

他说：“我们都在努力追赶人工智能的发展步伐，每个国家都专注于自身的问题。东盟作为一个整体，也需要共同努力应对这一问题，因此这些讨论必须继续下去。”

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