Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has warned that his country is likely to confront the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence earlier than many other nations because of its small size, openness and strong reliance on digital technology. Speaking during the World Economic Forum in Davos, he highlighted that Singapore’s advanced digital infrastructure and high integration of technology in business and government mean it will experience the impacts of AI more quickly — both good and bad — than larger or less digitally developed countries.
Rather than seeing AI solely as a threat, Tharman described it as a “positive challenge” that, if properly embraced, can boost productivity and economic growth. However, he emphasised that the real task is ensuring the benefits of AI are widely shared across the workforce, not just concentrated among a few. This means investing heavily in upskilling and reskilling workers so they can adapt to new roles that complement AI technologies, rather than being displaced by them.
Tharman also stressed that Singapore’s experience highlights the importance of active public-private partnerships and forward-looking policies to manage the transition. He noted that the country’s history of anticipating challenges and addressing them early gives it an advantage, but that many nations will face similar pressures around workforce transformation, healthcare demands, and broader economic shifts tied to AI adoption.
On the global stage, the president called for enhanced international cooperation and governance to maximise AI’s benefits while guarding against its worst risks, including misinformation, cyber warfare and potentially dangerous autonomous systems. He argued that no single country — whether a major power like the U.S. or China or smaller states like Singapore — can shape the future of AI alone, and that countries working together can build more robust frameworks for safety, equity and innovation.
