New AI scholarship powers his ambitions

The NTU Turing AI scholar is already connecting with world-class experts through masterclasses while creating a space where fellow innovators can thrive

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Should he receive a time machine, freshman Timothy Yong knows exactly where he is headed: forward, into a future being shaped today by artificial intelligence (AI).

"The past is cool, but I am more curious about the unknown, such as how AI will take the front seat in healthcare and environmental protection," says the 21-year-old.

Timothy is among the inaugural batch of 34 recipients of the new Turing AI Scholars Programme at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

The scholarship is named after Alan Turing who is renowned for his ground-breaking contributions to the fields of mathematics, logic, computer science and AI.

Says Professor Luke Ong, dean of NTU's college of computing and data science: "The emergence of AI as a general-purpose technology makes it pivotal in reshaping humanity's future."

He points out that the new scholarship programme is designed to prepare Singapore's talent for this transformation by advancing cutting-edge research and nurturing socially conscious innovators.

Graduates of the programme can take on diverse roles in the industry, from AI engineers and data scientists to policy advisors and ethical compliance officers.