The key lies in the efforts made to build trust in technology: Josephine Teo
[JAKARTA] Singapore is collaborating with Southeast Asia and the rest of the world to explore the effectiveness of labels in artificial intelligence applications.
Such “nutrition labeling” may require service providers to disclose the capabilities and limitations of AI-enabled applications.
This will likely begin as a voluntary framework for Singapore, with the Singapore government in ongoing consultation with the industry.
Labels are intended to help users understand what AI-enabled services can and cannot do, similar to how food and drug labels communicate information to consumers.
Singapore’s Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo addressed the initiative during a panel discussion on regional digital infrastructure on Wednesday (17 June).
He added that Singapore would be “willing to discuss with our colleagues in Asean and other parts of the world” whether such a label would be useful.
Mr Teo, who is also minister responsible for cybersecurity and the Smart Nations Group, described these efforts as “baby steps”, adding that the government could consider taking further action once their effectiveness is assessed.
He also said the government is encouraging app developers to review what they can reasonably share with consumers about these labels without forcing them to provide sensitive information.
Mr Teo pointed out that consumers can feel confident using a variety of appliances because the products have been tested, noting that today’s AI is “reaching the hands, heads and hearts of millions of people”.
“We don’t really know if it’s been properly tested. So the question for me is: What efforts are we making to make sure this technology is truly reliable?”
Teo was speaking alongside Indonesian Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutia Hafid during a panel discussion on how upgrading physical networks and data systems can lay the foundation for AI-driven growth.
The discussion was moderated by asian technologyTerrence Lee, general leader and editor-in-chief of “. It was one of several events held at the second Asian Economic Summit, organized by the English-language technology media company.
The theme of this year’s summit, held at the Fairmont Jakarta, was “Where Southeast Asia’s economic decisions are shaped.”
An all-day event, Approximately 250 regional policymakers, business leaders, investors and technology stakeholders convened to align policy intent with investment priorities and implementation pathways across Southeast Asia.
