Developing human qualities key priority for schools in age of AI, says PM Wong

Schools are working to help students become discerning users of technology, amid growing concerns that they may rely too much on artificial intelligence (AI) and take shortcuts.

- Ng Wei Kai

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said there is unease that students may not make the effort to learn and master the fundamentals.

Ultimately, the concern is that they may never learn how to think for themselves, he said on Aug 17 at his second National Day Rally at the ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio.

He cited an example of a teacher who noticed that his students' essays improved almost overnight, and later found out they had used AI chatbot ChatGPT to improve their writing.

Earlier in his speech, PM Wong had spoken about how AI, which he called "the defining technology of our time", has begun to reshape Singapore's economy, changing companies and jobs at every level of society.

While schools are working to strengthen their digital skills, in this age of AI, what really matters are human qualities that machines cannot replicate, PM Wong said.