Leveraging AI to solve productivity and skills challenges

In Singapore, firefighters are already using smart glasses, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technology to automate the process of inspecting fire equipment and facilitate remote assistance.

The collaboration, announced last September, between several public agencies, local telecommunications company StarHub, IMDA and IBM, leveraged IBM's AI-powered video and image analytics platform, Maximo Visual Inspection, to consolidate aggregated data into a single, real-time dashboard.

Ms Sarah Mohamed Ong, head of government and regulatory affairs at IBM Singapore, said this has equipped the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) firefighters with the tools they need to undertake data-driven decisions that are vital to safe and successful operations.

Ahead of IBM's Think Singapore event on 15 August, Ong will share more about IBM's approach to working with Singapore's public sector on adopting AI and generative AI (GenAI) to improve operational efficiency, and what event attendees can expect.

Supporting the public sector's adoption of AI

IBM is focusing on GenAI at its Think Singapore event at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, with the theme “Accelerating innovation and productivity through expanding AI for business”.

Speakers from the public sector include the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and IMDA, as well as private organisations such as Starhub and Universal Group, Mr Ong said.

“This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in AI and looking to start their journey.

“The event will focus on the potential of AI and delve deeper into the tough questions that businesses and public sector organisations must answer as they adopt this technology, today and in the future,” Ong said.

Skills to Accelerate AI Adoption in Singapore's Public Sector

IBM Singapore's AI adoption efforts in Singapore are focused on preparing the workforce for the AI ​​transition.

A survey commissioned by IBM found that despite the recent proliferation of AI-related skills, nearly a third (37%) of IT professionals in Singapore still believe that a lack of AI skills and expertise is hindering successful AI adoption.

Last September, the technology company announced a commitment to train 2 million learners in AI by the end of 2026. Using the IBM SkillsBuild learning platform, it is working with universities and partners around the world to expand AI and GenAI education to youth and adult learners.

Ong said IBM continues to work with higher education institutions in Singapore to help adult learners explore real-world applications of AI through hands-on experiences such as workshops on creating virtual assistants.

“We all know that it is talent that makes the difference in digital transformation and overall business success. IBM will forge more partnerships by the end of the year and continue to invest in developing local tech talent,” Ong said.

The current state of AI and GenAI in government

AI and GenAI are being applied by organizations and public authorities to increase productivity and efficiency in areas such as digital labor, customer experience, and even app development.

AI for digital work refers to the use of AI to support a wide range of activities carried out digitally, from simple tasks such as content creation and data entry to more complex operations such as recruitment, Ong says.

For example, IBM's employee benefits virtual assistant AskHR allows employees to query the platform about time off policies and navigate a maze of portals to find information about tenure, location and remaining vacation days.

“The integration of generative AI and automation has seen significant benefits, including a 40% reduction in HR operations costs and 94% of company-wide requests being handled by our digital assistant, AskHR,” Ong said.

For customer service, GenAI helps in creating personalized services based on the needs of citizens. For app development, AI helps automate and streamline the app modernization process.

Government Initiatives for AI

Outside Singapore, IBM is working with other public sector clients to accelerate the use of AI and GenAI in their operations.

The U.S. tax agency, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is turning to IBM AI and analytics to overhaul critical infrastructure to support legacy modernization processes, improve cybersecurity, expand advanced analytics capabilities and improve interactions with taxpayers and tax stakeholders.

“On the back end, governments are often held back from true transformation by legacy systems with tightly coupled workflow rules that require significant effort and cost to modernize.

“Governments can leverage GenAI to accelerate app modernisation as demands for improved services are constantly changing,” Ong explains.

AI governance and ethics go hand in hand with AI adoption

IBM will also focus on public-private partnerships on the ethical use of AI at upcoming events.

In Singapore, AI Singapore is working with IBM on the tests. ASEAN's first Large Scale Language Model (LLM) Power your models with Watsonx, IBM's data and AI platform.

MAS is also working with IBM on a complete AI lifecycle governance tool to provide ongoing oversight of MAS’s operations.

“The call for responsible use of AI is loud and clear – we take this very seriously and are embedding these considerations into our processes, AI products and services.

“IBM has a long history of partnering with government organizations to build a responsible AI culture, and we look forward to working with the public sector to develop best practices for the ethical use of AI,” Ong said.

Think Singapore is IBM's annual conference for business leaders and technology professionals, a unique opportunity to discover and share ideas on the keys and challenges of technological innovation and the impact of AI on business transformation.