Tan Kiat How flies to Silicon Valley to learn how ordinary Singaporeans can benefit from AI

SINGAPORE: Tan Kiat How announced on Sunday (June 8) that he would shortly be leaving for Silicon Valley in the United States in an effort to learn more about Artificial Intelligence and how the rapidly developing technology will positively impact the lives of ordinary Singaporeans.

Mr Tan, a computer engineer by profession, is also concurrently serving as Senior Minister of State for Health and Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information. 

“I’m flying off this afternoon to Silicon Valley to look at AI companies and how technologies are impacting different domains especially healthcare and cybersecurity,” he said in his video, adding that he has previously traveled to other countries, particularly China, to take a look at developments in AI, and is now very interested to see the same in the US, especially frontier technologies and their implications.

Mr Tan acknowledged that there have been many concerns regarding whether or not AI would replace jobs, how it will affect the future of work, and there will be more cybersecurity concerns with AI, and how society will benefit from it.

“These are the questions I would like to better understand and see how we can navigate the future together,” he said.

In the caption to his post, he clarified that he’s not headed to Silicon Valley to admire Big Tech but to ask what Singaporeans need to learn and avoid when it comes to AI.

The technology, he explained, is no longer “something far away” but already has an impact on how people work, learn, create, do business, care for their loved ones, and protect themselves from new risks.

He added that as AI already affects Singaporeans, “The real question is how we make sure Singaporeans are ready, not just the big companies, not just the tech experts, but our workers, families, seniors, small businesses and communities.”

Before becoming part of the ruling People’s Action Party’s slate that contested the East Coast GRC in 2020, Mr Tan had a long history of public service.

He started as an IT consultant in the Ministry of Education, and also had stints at the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), where he was the Chief Executive Officer, as well as the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

At MCI, he helped to develop the blueprint for Intelligent Nation 2015 and served as Deputy Secretary. He was also Programme Director at the Pioneer Generation Office. /TISG

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