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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force globally, shaping various aspects of daily life. In Singapore, the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) stands at the forefront of integrating AI into public services, with a focus on enhancing efficiency, improving citizen services, and safeguarding privacy and security.
GovTech has been leveraging AI to improve citizen services even before the recent advancements in generative AI. Initiatives like the One Service Chatbot, operational since 2021, allow residents to report municipal issues through platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Handling around 30,000 cases monthly, the chatbot automates case details extraction, predicts case categories, and expedites case resolution, saving approximately 2,000 man-hours.
In healthcare, AI is employed to identify cases of dementia, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional diagnostic methods. A drawing app, currently being trialled with seniors, uses AI to evaluate drawings and assess the likelihood of dementia, eliminating the need for specialist referrals.
Additionally, the My Careers Future job portal incorporates a recommendation system, powered by 10 AI models, to enhance job matching and facilitate career planning.
As generative AI gains prominence, GovTech is exploring its integration into services. Collaborating with ChatGPT4, which evaluates both text and photos, GovTech envisions enhancing the One Service Chatbot’s capabilities. Users could submit images, and the chatbot, with generative AI, could automatically generate cases based on the visual content.
Generative AI’s potential in creating multilingual instructional videos is also being explored. By utilising AI-powered translation and voice generation, GovTech aims to produce content in multiple languages, catering to Singapore’s diverse population.
Several factors contribute to GovTech’s agility in AI implementation. High-quality data sets are crucial for AI effectiveness, and GovTech invests in assembling such data for training AI models. Strong relationships with stakeholders, both within the government and the public, ensure a deep understanding of needs, fostering targeted product development.
A culture of innovation and a commitment to rapid experimentation enable GovTech to move swiftly. Platforms like Launchpad encourage users to pitch ideas, experiment, and witness AI in action, fostering continuous improvement.
GovTech envisions a future where the ability to use AI is a fundamental skill. Plans for a prompt engineering playbook and collaboration with the Civil Service College for a prompt engineering course highlight the commitment to developing essential competencies.
A holistic AI framework is being developed to guide the long-term strategy of AI development and usage within the public service. Through these initiatives, GovTech aims to ensure that Singapore’s public service remains at the forefront of technological advancements, delivering world-class services into the future.
Singapore is at the forefront of data-driven decision-making in the public sector, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency and establish global leadership in smart governance across various domains, including public administration, defence, aviation, maritime, and land transportation.
The OpenGov Breakfast Insight on 18 January 2024 delved into AI strategies for various sectors, including public administration, defence, aviation, maritime, and land transportation agencies, the event shed light on the transformative influence of Artificial Intelligence on smart governance and decision-making.
The strategic integration of AI in transportation addresses challenges like traffic optimisation and logistics, offering benefits such as real-time routing precision, fuel and time savings, and reduced environmental impact. While these innovations showcase Singapore’s commitment to innovation, concerns regarding security and data privacy underscore the need for a balanced approach.
Singapore’s success serves as a blueprint for nations navigating similar challenges, emphasising a holistic and strategic approach to digital transformation.