SUTD to invest $50m towards new specialisation in AI and design

New AI platform, course offerings and master's programme among uni's plans

- Gabrielle Chan

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), more prominently known as a design university, is shifting its focus to both artificial intelligence and design with a $50 million investment.

A bulk of the funds, which will be invested over the next three to five years, will go to a new AI platform that will be developed in-house, said SUTD.

The AI will be of "independent thought", it said, and will be trained to "offer constructive feedback and suggestions to its human team partners".

For undergraduates, new batches will take a compulsory course in foundational design AI, and there will also be new course offerings, including a minor in AI.

For postgraduates, SUTD will be launching a master's programme in design AI, where participants will work on projects in collaboration with industry partners. This programme will take in students from September 2025.

In an interview with The Straits Times on Jan 13, SUTD president Phoon Kok Kwang explained that their approach to incorporating AI focuses on the interactions between "humans and AI".

He said the university aims to develop AI that enhances and complements human capabilities.

This shift is also crucial for preparing students to thrive in a future where collaboration with AI will be key for innovation and problem-solving.

"That will be our higher dream, that we will be able to create a robust, new way of working, where the human and AI can complement each other," Professor Phoon said.

Some 30 students were part of the first batch to get a taste of design and AI, graduating with a degree in design and artificial intelligence (DAI) in May 2024.