S'pore Committed to Responsible Innovation Amid Tech Risks: DPM Heng

Singapore will remain steadfast in its commitment to facilitating innovations and partnerships so as to advance global security, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on March 19.

- Mike Yeo

In a keynote speech at the Singapore Defence Technology Summit (SDTS), he laid out the nation's approach to technological development at a time when emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies offer both unprecedented opportunities and risks in areas such as defence.

DPM Heng said the accelerated pace of technological advancement has irrevocably reshaped the security environment, given the rise of asymmetric threats enabled by dual-use technologies.

For instance, innovations meant for civilian use can also serve disruptive military purposes, such as cyber attacks that target critical infrastructure, AI-enabled disinformation campaigns, and the use of autonomous systems in contested environments, he noted.

Such tech advances have taken place in parallel with an increasingly complex global geopolitical landscape, where strategic competition between superpowers has become more pronounced and technology itself more contested.

Nationalism in tech development, such as protectionist policies and tighter export controls, has also raised critical questions about the long-term sustainability of global technological progress, DPM Heng added.

In this environment, Singapore is committed to unlocking the power of emerging technologies, while safeguarding trust and security, he said at the biennial summit which is organised by the Defence Science and Technology Agency and held at Shangri-La Hotel.

This is as progress in exploiting technological advancements will create new possibilities across multiple domains - from the digital economy to national security - and ensure that Singapore remains competitive and secure, said DPM Heng, who is also the chairman of the National Research Foundation.