Singapore embraces AI to solve everyday problems

On AI, Singapore was an early adopter, releasing its first national AI strategy in 2019.

Booking a badminton court at one of Singapore's 100-odd community centres can be a workout in itself, with residents forced to type in times and venues repeatedly on a website until they find a free slot. Thanks to AI, it could soon be easier.

The People's Association, which runs the community centres, worked with a government tech agency to build a chatbot powered by generative artificial intelligence to help residents find free courts in the city-state's four official languages.

The booking chatbot, which could be rolled out shortly, is among more than 100 generative AI-based solutions spurred by the AI Trailblazers project, launched last year to find AI-based solutions to everyday problems.

The project, backed by Singapore government agencies and Google, has also led to the development of tools to scan job applicant's CVs, develop customised teaching curriculums, and generate transcripts of customer service calls.

(For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today’s Cache)

It is part of the Southeast Asian nation's AI strategy that is light on regulation and keen on "AI for all", said Josephine Teo, minister for communications and information.

"Regulations are certainly part of good governance, but in AI, we have to make sure there is good infrastructure to support the activities," she said at a briefing last month at Google's Singapore office where some of the new tools were demonstrated.