The prime minister announces a slew of tech measures, including an AI Council, that he says will help the city state stay ahead
Opening his annual budget speech on Thursday by pointing to the wider world, he noted that America was reassessing and in some areas, “undoing key elements of the very system it once helped to build [...] trade rules that were once promoted are being set aside”.
While the “Liberation Day” tariffs in May last year did not result in the country’s worst fears materialising and the global economy proved more resilient than anticipated, Singapore might not be so fortunate, Wong said.
“Events in just the first month of 2026 have already been of exceptional scale and consequence, they have increased geopolitical tensions worldwide as pressures build and the margin for error narrows, the resilience of the global system will be tested far more severely. There are also clear and growing signs of fragility in the global economy,” Wong said.
One of the key ways Singapore would stay ahead was to leverage AI, with Wong saying he would chair a new National AI Council to allow for a coordinated national effort.
While noting that AI had the potential to raise productivity, unlock new discoveries and transform lives, this promise came with deep concerns about job displacement and misinformation
Source: News - South China Morning Post
